Chicago Sky
From Sports Library
| Chicago Sky | |
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
| Founded | 2005 |
| Arena | UIC Pavilion |
| City | Chicago, Illinois |
| Team Colors | Light blue, gold |
| Owner | Michael Alter |
| General Manager | Bo Overton |
| Head Coach | Bo Overton |
| WNBA Championships | None |
| Conference Titles | None |
| Mascot | Sky Guy [1] |
The Chicago Sky are a current Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Chicago, Illinois. They began league play in 2006. This franchise is not affiliated with the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA), despite being based in the same city. Their home court is the UIC Pavilion. Sky games will be broadcast on WTTW or WCIU.
Contents |
Uniforms
- 2006 - Present:
- On the road: Light blue with gold on the sides. Collar is gold.
- At home: White with light blue on the sides. Collar is light blue.
Franchise History
In February 2005, NBA Commissioner David Stern announced Chicago as the city awarded with a new WNBA franchise. The franchise was temporarily named WNBA Chicago. On May 27, 2005, former NBA player and coach Dave Cowens was announced as the team's first head coach and general manager.
The team name and logo were formally debuted on September 20, 2005 at the Adler Planetarium. Team officials said the location was chosen to best represent the team name. Team President and CEO Margaret Stender claimed the team colors of yellow and blue represent "A beautiful day in Chicago between the blue sky and bright sunlight to highlight the spectacular skyline."
The team's introduction in Chicago was highlighted by the appearance of several WNBA players, including 2004 WNBA Rookie of the Year Diana Taurasi, 2005 WNBA Rookie of the Year Temeka Johnson, 2002 WNBA Rookie of the Year Sue Bird and 2003 WNBA Champion Ruth Riley.
In November 2005, the team held an expansion draft to help build its initial roster of players. Among the notable selections were Brooke Wyckoff from the Connecticut Sun, Bernadette Ngoyisa from the San Antonio Silver Stars, Elaine Powell from the Detroit Shock and Stacey Dales (who had retired prior to the 2005 season) from the Washington Mystics.
Unlike other WNBA franchises in cities with NBA teams, the Sky are not considered a sister team to the Chicago Bulls. This is apparent with different ownership, team colors, and different home arenas.
On February 28, 2006, the team announced that two of the minority shareholders of the team are Michelle Williams, from the vocal group Destiny's Child and Matthew Knowles, father of Destiny's Child lead singer Beyoncé Knowles.
Dave Cowens resigned from the Sky to join the coaching staff of the Detroit Pistons on September 12, 2006. University of Missouri-Kansas City women's head basketball coach Bo Overton was named the Chicago Sky's new head coach and general manager on December 12, 2006.
Their WNBA-worst record of 5-29 gave them the best chance of drawing the top pick in the 2007 WNBA Draft; however, they did not draw either of the top two picks, and will pick third overall in the first round. They would get the first pick in the dispersal draft held on January 8, 2007 after the demise of the Charlotte Sting, which they used to select Monique Currie.
Season-by-Season Records
Note: W = Wins, L = Losses, % = Win-Loss %
| Season | W | L | % | Playoffs | Results |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago Sky | |||||
| 2006 | 5 | 29 | .147 | ||
| Totals | 5 | 29 | .147 | ||
| Playoffs | 0 | 0 | --- | ||
Stats updated August 22, 2006
Players of note
Hall of Famers
none
Retired numbers
none
Not to be forgotten
none
Current Roster
Coaches and others
Head Coaches:
- Dave Cowens (2006)
- Bo Overton (starting in 2007)
References
- Chicago Sky Front Office. Retrieved on September 20, 2005.
- Chicago Sky take flight. Retrieved on September 20, 2005.
- WNBA Expanding to Chicago in 2006. Retrieved on February 8, 2005.
- Chicago Sky Announces Expansion Draft Selections. Retrieved on November 16, 2005.
- February 28, 2006 Chicago Sky press release announcing Michelle Williams on its ownership group
External links
| Eastern Conference | Western Conference |
|---|---|
| Chicago Sky | Connecticut Sun | Detroit Shock | Indiana Fever | New York Liberty | Washington Mystics | Houston Comets | Los Angeles Sparks | Minnesota Lynx | Phoenix Mercury | Sacramento Monarchs | San Antonio Silver Stars | Seattle Storm |
| Defunct teams: Charlotte Sting | Cleveland Rockers | Miami Sol | Portland Fire | |
| Media: WNBA on ESPN | List of WNBA Finals broadcasters | |
| Other Women's Leagues: National Women's Basketball League | Women's National Basketball League (Australia) | |
