The last two seasons have been pretty good for Allie Quigley. She’s gone from a WNBA player without a home to one of the key pieces for her hometown franchise, winning a major award as her team has become one of the top contenders for a championship.
So it was little surprise that Quigley and the Sky would want to keep that going.
“It’s been amazing because it’s just been a long road, up-and-down seasons in the WNBA and my family not really getting to see me play up close. And even when they did I really wasn’t playing,” Quigley said. “It just means a lot that they can experience everything too and go on the ride with us.”
On Monday the Sky made sure that ride would continue for Quigley and her family, announcing they have signed the reigning sixth woman of the year to a new multi-year contract. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but Quigley is staying with the Sky after entering the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.
Not that there was any doubt she’d be back.
“It was definitely something that this was the only place I wanted to be,” Quigley said. “As long as they wanted me then I would definitely be glad to be there.”
Raised in Joliet and a former DePaul star, the 28-year-old guard had a career year in 2014 for the Sky. She averaged 11.2 points during the regular season and shot 44.4 percent from the field. She continued her breakout into the playoffs, averaging 14.2 points during the Sky’s run to the WNBA Finals.
“Allie’s shooting accuracy, combined with her improvement off the bounce was instrumental in our run for a title,” Sky coach Pokey Chatman said in a news release. “I’m ecstatic to have another veteran presence, with an unmatched work ethic on board.”
Quigley’s path to where she’s now has been long.
Drafted in 2008 by Seattle, she didn’t play for the Storm that year and instead appeared in 14 games for the Phoenix Mercury. She then played six more times for Phoenix in 2009 before going to San Antonio and Indiana for seven games in 2010. She returned to Seattle for seven games in 2011 but didn’t play in the WNBA in 2012.
In 2013 she came to Chicago, playing in all 34 games and averaging what was a career-high 3.8 points as the Sky made the playoffs for the first time. After getting a bigger role in 2014, she helped the Sky survive the absences of Elena Delle Donne and Sylvia Fowles.
Quigley said “it’s a combination of a lot of things” that have made things click for her with the Sky.
“Pokey’s believed in me and she’s given me a chance to show how my game has improved. I think that every year I’ve gotten a little bit better,” Quigley said. “Kind of the perfect storm happened last year with getting minutes. Unfortunately we had injuries so I got some playing time and then just my game coming together at the right time.”
