WNBA Legends Candace Parker, Sue Bird Celebrated by Fans as Sky Beat Storm

The Chicago Sky held on for a 78-74 victory over the Seattle Storm on Wednesday at Wintrust Arena in Chicago.

Emma Meesseman and Allie Quigley combined to form a potent inside-outside combination for the Sky's offense. Quigley had a team-best 18 points and shot 3-of-5 from beyond the arc. Meesseman shot 7-of-12 en route to a double-double (16 points and 10 rebounds).

Meesseman's six assists were critical as well with Courtney Vandersloot unavailable.

That helped Chicago overcome strong showings from Breanna Stewart, who scored a game-high 24 points, and Jewell Loyd, who chipped in with 18.

Wednesday saw Sue Bird make what could be her penultimate trip to the Windy City. The 41-year-old is in the middle of her farewell tour after confirming she's retiring after the 2022 season.

For some fans, watching the 13-time All-Star ride off into the sunset was a priority.

Bird finished with nine points and four assists in 30 minutes on the floor.

This was also one of the last encounters between Bird and another legend, Candace Parker. In addition to earning the victory, Parker outpaced Bird individually. The two-time WNBA MVP had 10 points, eight rebounds, three assists and one steal.

Entering Wednesday, the Sky and Storm were first and third, respectively, in the WNBA standings. The two franchises might be seeing one another in the postseason, so this could've been a preview of a semifinals or Finals series.

Chicago and Seattle will be back in action Friday night. The Sky host the Dallas Wings, while the Storm hit the road to play the Phoenix Mercury. The latter will be Bird's final regular-season encounter with longtime friend/on-court rival Diana Taurasi.