Sky-Aces rivalry takes to Commissioner’s Cup stage

There’s an argument to be made that in a league of 12 teams, every matchup is a rivalry game. From the Sky’s perspective, there’s a little added intensity every time they play the Aces.

“It’s felt like [a rivalry] for a couple of years now,” Allie Quigley said. “As an organization, they started to peak around the same time we did. It’s been a battle every single game between us.”

Tuesday night will add another chapter to the teams’ rivalry when they meet in the Commissioner’s Cup championship game at Wintrust Arena to cap the competition’s second year.

Every time these teams square off, there’s some kind of climactic moment, going back to 2019.

“We still think about that shot,” Quigley said. “Ever since then, it’s always going to be a rivalry.”

That shot was a game-winner by the Aces’ Dearica Hamby, who stole the ball from Courtney Vandersloot before heaving and sinking a 35-footer to eliminate the Sky from the playoffs.

Since then, the Sky and Aces have played some unforgettable games. Most recently, the Sky pulled off the largest comeback in WNBA history, overcoming a 28-point deficit to win 104-95 on June 21. The Sky and Aces have been marked as championship contenders. They’re 1-2, respectively, in the league standings with playoff berths clinched.

The opportunity to win two championship trophies in one year is heavy on the minds of everyone in the Sky organization.

General manager/coach James Wade looks at the Commissioner’s Cup championship as an opportunity for his team to gain valuable experience. Of course, they have last year’s championship season to refer back to, but this game — which has no impact on the regular-season standings — comes with playoff-like pressure, which can’t be replicated in practice.

“[This game] will send a statement,” Azurá Stevens said. “I think we’re the better team, but it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks. All that matters is what happens when we show up tomorrow.”

There’s a $500,000 prize pool on the line, with the winning team’s players earning $30,000 each and the losing team’s players $10,000. The MVP of the game will earn an additional $5,000.

The civic-engagement aspect of the Commissioner’s Cup gave each team an opportunity to earn money for an organization of their choosing. The Sky teamed up with Chicago community organization, My Block. My Hood. My City. and earned $18,500 in monetary donations.

“The wraparound partner that the Sky are means more to us than any monetary donation,” My Block. My Hood. My City. marketing manager Ernesto Gonzalez said. “Not only have they invited our youth, staff and friends to multiple games, they’ve offered to promote our efforts, open their facilities to us and be at events to meet other people who can provide resources to us.”

Gonzalez said My Block. My Hood. My City. will have at least 50 people in attendance for the game, including founder Jahmal Cole.

Vandersloot is set to return after missing four games following a concussion she sustained July 14 against the Sparks. Vandersloot, who had never suffered a concussion, said after practice Monday it was challenging to spend an extended amount of time away from the team, but the rest she got was necessary.

The Sky went 3-1 in Vandersloot’s absence, losing to the Liberty on Saturday in the second of back-to-back games.