Latest news with #SixthWomanoftheYear
Yahoo
11-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Sky retire Allie Quigley's No. 14 jersey, putting a bow on a stellar career with her hometown team
CHICAGO — Allie Quigley knows a thing or two about firsts. Her decade-long career with the Chicago Sky can be told through first-time accolades. The first Sky player to be named Sixth Woman of the Year. The first player — WNBA or NBA — to win four All-Star 3-point contests. Most importantly, captain of the roster for the first WNBA title in franchise history in 2021. Advertisement And so it was no surprise, among all of the firsts, that Quigley was the player reserved to set one final team precedent. The Sky retired Quigley's No. 14 jersey Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena, recognizing the guard's impact on the franchise as a three-time All-Star and WNBA champion. She is the first Sky player to have her number retired, a reflection of the deep impression made on her hometown team from 2013-22. A native of Joliet, Quigley played the majority of her basketball in Chicagoland — first with Joliet Catholic, then with DePaul and finally with the Sky. Although she never has been one to embrace the spotlight, Wednesday's game offered Chicago an opportunity to fully celebrate Quigley's legacy. Pregame, every seat in the arena was decorated with a towel displaying Quigley's jersey. Breaks in the game were punctuated by tribute videos. And the No. 14 dotted the crowd — on jerseys, on shirts, on posters held aloft by fans. Advertisement Quigley selected two people to speak during the halftime ceremony: Sky owner Michael Alter and wife Courtney Vandersloot. Propped up on one crutch while recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, Vandersloot fought back tears while delivering a speech about how she would recount stories of Quigley's career to their daughter, Jana, who was born in April. 'My life's mission that Jana will not only know how great of a shooter her mom is — the purest and best-looking jumper the game has ever seen — but also how strong her float game is, how sneaky her handle is, and even though she was the sweetest person on the floor, she had a little nasty to her,' Vandersloot said. 'I will make sure she understands her mom's loyalty, commitment and absolute team-player mentality is what every franchise dreams of when choosing their players.' Quigley spent as much of her speech talking about her wife as she did about her own career, hyping up the crowd to give out a signature 'Sloooooot' chant. But for a decade, that's how it worked — Quigley and Vandersloot and the Sky just went together. Quigley said she never took a free-agency meeting with another team. It was always the Sky. And long before Wednesday night, Quigley and the Sky had become synonymous with one another — a partnership that defined a career and a franchise. Advertisement 'I'll always remember bringing a championship to this city,' Quigley, 39, said. 'Talking about it will never get old. I still can't believe I grew up 40 miles from here and got to play for my hometown team.' Quigley joined the Sky in 2013 after struggling to find her footing in her first five years in the league. Chicago was always the right fit for the sharpshooter. She shot 39.4% from 3-point range over her career, hitting her peak in the championship run in 2021 with 45.4% efficiency. Quigley remains the franchise 3-point leader with 504. She retired as the team's all-time scoring leader with 3,723 points, although Vandersloot broke the record this season. Quigley is still tied to the Sky. Vandersloot returned to the franchise after two seasons with the New York Liberty. Although Vandersloot will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, she remains a crucial leader for a roster in transition. Advertisement The last two years have served as an elongated — and somewhat understated — goodbye to basketball for Quigley. In a column for The Players' Tribune published June 10, the former guard joked that she accidentally completed an 'Irish goodbye' when she opted not to announce her retirement in 2023 despite not signing a new WNBA contract. It took two more years for Quigley to make her departure official. DePaul in January inducted Quigley to its athletic Hall of Fame, celebrating the most successful women's basketball player in the university's history 20 years after she started her career with the Blue Demons. Quigley's 2,078 points at DePaul rank third on the program's all-time list. She led the Demons to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including the Sweet 16 in 2006, and was a four-time all-conference selection. When the Sky retired Quigley's number Wednesday night, her WNBA jersey joined her DePaul jersey in the rafters at Wintrust Arena — a final reminder of the legacy the shooter left upon women's basketball in Chicago.
Chicago Tribune
10-07-2025
- Sport
- Chicago Tribune
Chicago Sky retire Allie Quigley's No. 14 jersey, putting a bow on a stellar career with her hometown team
Allie Quigley knows a thing or two about firsts. Her decade-long career with the Chicago Sky can be told through first-time accolades. The first Sky player to be named Sixth Woman of the Year. The first player — WNBA or NBA — to win four All-Star 3-point contests. Most importantly, captain of the roster for the first WNBA title in franchise history in 2021. And so it was no surprise, among all of the firsts, that Quigley was the player reserved to set one final team precedent. The Sky retired Quigley's No. 14 jersey Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena, recognizing the guard's impact on the franchise as a three-time All-Star and WNBA champion. She is the first Sky player to have her number retired, a reflection of the deep impression made on her hometown team from 2013-22. A native of Joliet, Quigley played the majority of her basketball in Chicagoland — first with Joliet Catholic, then with DePaul and finally with the Sky. Although she never has been one to embrace the spotlight, Wednesday's game offered Chicago an opportunity to fully celebrate Quigley's legacy. Pregame, every seat in the arena was decorated with a towel displaying Quigley's jersey. Breaks in the game were punctuated by tribute videos. And the No. 14 dotted the crowd — on jerseys, on shirts, on posters held aloft by fans. Quigley selected two people to speak during the halftime ceremony: Sky owner Michael Alter and wife Courtney Vandersloot. Propped up on one crutch while recovering from a season-ending ACL injury, Vandersloot fought back tears while delivering a speech about how she would recount stories of Quigley's career to their daughter, Jana, who was born in April. 'My life's mission that Jana will not only know how great of a shooter her mom is — the purest and best-looking jumper the game has ever seen — but also how strong her float game is, how sneaky her handle is, and even though she was the sweetest person on the floor, she had a little nasty to her,' Vandersloot said. 'I will make sure she understands her mom's loyalty, commitment and absolute team-player mentality is what every franchise dreams of when choosing their players.' Quigley spent as much of her speech talking about her wife as she did about her own career, hyping up the crowd to give out a signature 'Sloooooot' chant. But for a decade, that's how it worked — Quigley and Vandersloot and the Sky just went together. Quigley said she never took a free-agency meeting with another team. It was always the Sky. And long before Wednesday night, Quigley and the Sky had become synonymous with one another — a partnership that defined a career and a franchise. 'I'll always remember bringing a championship to this city,' Quigley, 39, said. 'Talking about it will never get old. I still can't believe I grew up 40 miles from here and got to play for my hometown team.' Quigley joined the Sky in 2013 after struggling to find her footing in her first five years in the league. Chicago was always the right fit for the sharpshooter. She shot 39.4% from 3-point range over her career, hitting her peak in the championship run in 2021 with 45.4% efficiency. Quigley remains the franchise 3-point leader with 504. She retired as the team's all-time scoring leader with 3,723 points, although Vandersloot broke the record this season. Quigley is still tied to the Sky. Vandersloot returned to the franchise after two seasons with the New York Liberty. Although Vandersloot will be sidelined for the remainder of the season, she remains a crucial leader for a roster in transition. The last two years have served as an elongated — and somewhat understated — goodbye to basketball for Quigley. In a column for The Players' Tribune published June 10, the former guard joked that she accidentally completed an 'Irish goodbye' when she opted not to announce her retirement in 2023 despite not signing a new WNBA contract. It took two more years for Quigley to make her departure official. DePaul in January inducted Quigley to its athletic Hall of Fame, celebrating the most successful women's basketball player in the university's history 20 years after she started her career with the Blue Demons. Quigley's 2,078 points at DePaul rank third on the program's all-time list. She led the Demons to four consecutive NCAA Tournaments, including the Sweet 16 in 2006, and was a four-time all-conference selection. When the Sky retired Quigley's number Wednesday night, her WNBA jersey joined her DePaul jersey in the rafters at Wintrust Arena — a final reminder of the legacy the shooter left upon women's basketball in Chicago.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Fans React To Indiana Fever Cutting Two-Time WNBA Champion
Fans React To Indiana Fever Cutting Two-Time WNBA Champion originally appeared on The Spun. The third-leading scorer in WNBA history will reportedly no longer be wearing an Indiana Fever uniform after today. Advertisement Following a five-game absence for what the team called "personal reasons," the Fever waived 37-year-old forward DeWanna Bonner on Wednesday morning amid her frustrations finding a consistent role in Indiana's lineup. Per the IndyStar's Chloe Peterson, the Fever are bringing back former third overall pick Aari McDonald in Bonner's place after releasing her earlier this month. Noting, "Bonner requested a trade after feeling she couldn't find a role on the team but Indiana could not find a suitable trade option." Fans reacted to Indiana's decision on Bonner this AM. "Maybe there are some details we're missing but if she really just quit on the team midseason because the wasn't starting (something her play this year did not warrant), she just damaged her rep a ton," a user said. "Glad to have Aari back though!" Advertisement "Bonner is gone and Aari is back. Good," another replied. "Now the Fever desperately need to find front court help especially with Dantas departing for a while." "Goodbye, goodbye, goodbye, it turns out you were not bigger than the whole sky. And that's fine," a fan posted. "We getting Aari back. GUYS your manifestations are coming true," another person shared. "Women's basketball is WILD. She played like 4 games. Was terrible. Got benched. Ditched for a few weeks. Now all this lol." "sad to see how things played out," another user admitted. "was looking forward to Bonner and her mentoring AB." Indiana Fever forward DeWanna Bonner (25) celebrates a three-pointer Tuesday during a game between the Indiana Fever and the Washington Mystics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 3, Smith/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images Bonner finishes her Indiana tenure with averages of 7.1 points, 3.8 rebounds and 1.6 assists in nine games played. Advertisement For her career the future Hall of Famer is a six-time All-Star, two-time WNBA champ, two-time All-WNBA selection, 2015 All-Defensive member and three-time Sixth Woman of the Year. Related: Indiana Fever Make Final Roster Decision On DeWanna Bonner Fans React To Indiana Fever Cutting Two-Time WNBA Champion first appeared on The Spun on Jun 25, 2025 This story was originally reported by The Spun on Jun 25, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Chicago Sky Make Major Announcement on Wednesday
Chicago Sky Make Major Announcement on Wednesday originally appeared on Athlon Sports. The Chicago Sky have struggled to start the WNBA season, working under first-year head coach Tyler Marsh. Marsh has led the Sky to a 2-6 record, having lost back-to-back games to the Indiana Fever and the New York Liberty. Advertisement Amid the disappointing season for the Sky, they dealt some exciting news to fans, which could soften the blow of their record for a short while. Chicago officially announced that they will be retiring Allie Quigley's No. 14. They will put the jersey in the rafters on July 9. "See you soon 14," posted the official social media account of the Chicago Sky. "The Chicago Sky will retire Allie Quigley's jersey on July 9, 2025." Upon the release of the news, Quigley took to social media, sharing her thoughts on an incredible career with the Chicago Sky. "It's not easy saying goodbye to basketball, but I feel so lucky to have been able to play in the WNBA and live out my dream," Quigley said. "To be able to play in Chicago for my hometown team?!? It doesn't get any better, all I can say is thank you." Allie Quigley recently retired from the WNBA after playing 15 seasons, 10 of which came with the Chicago Sky. Advertisement During her WNBA career, Quigley helped lead the Sky to the WNBA title in 2021. She was also formally honored with her success, having been named a two-time Sixth Woman of the Year and a three-time All-Star. Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh. Kirby Lee-Imagn Images During her 15-year WNBA career, Allie Quigley posted 10.9 points, 2.0 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. The former Chicago Sky star will be honored for her career when the team plays the Dallas Wings at 8 p.m. ET. Related: Caitlin Clark Turns Heads with Major Announcement on Monday Related: LSU's Kim Mulkey Reacts to Major Flau'jae Johnson Announcement on Monday This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 11, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
11-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Courtney Vandersloot and Wife Allie Quigley Make Major Mother's Day Announcement
There's no doubt Mother's Day this year has been extra tough on Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot. Sloot lost her mother, Jan, who passed away last June after a two-year battle with cancer. The loss resulted in Vandersloot briefly stepping away from the New York Liberty last year, and may have contributed to her diminished role in the second half of the season. Advertisement The first Mother's Day after her passing has to be incredibly difficult, but this year it comes with even more emotions for Vandersloot and her wife - three-time WNBA All-Star and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley - after the pair welcomed their first baby together, as announced on social media via PEOPLE. "We are over the moon to welcome our baby girl to the world," Vandersloot and Quigley, affectionately known as "the VanderQuigs," tell PEOPLE. "We have been dreaming of this moment for a long time, and it's better than we could have ever imagined!" Vandersloot and Quigley have been together nearly ten years, officially tying the knot in December of 2018 - which is also when they first revealed their relationship publicly. Advertisement Vandersloot, 36, is back in Chicago where she spent the first 12 seasons of her WNBA career, leading the Sky to a championship in 2021 alongside Quigley - becoming the first married couple to win a professional sports championship together. The former Gonzaga icon will look to rebound from a tough 2024 season while mentoring the litany of young talented players on the Chicago roster, including rookie guard Hailey Van Lith and second year post players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Related: Fever's Lexie Hull Left Impressed by Dream's New Guard
