CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky played their last home game of the 2024 WNBA season against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday evening. The matchup was air-tight in the beginning, with the Sky firing three-pointers on all cylinders.

However, the Mercury would not give in and won 93-88. After the game, Teresa Weatherspoon got real on Chicago’s effort in their critical loss.

“We played our a** off tonight. We gave ourselves a chance to win. We played our butts off tonight. Regardless of the circumstances. Our kids went out there and played. That, I’m proud of. Extremely proud of that. There’s no give up in these young ladies.

Not one. We still got two [games] to go. We’re going after those two,” Weatherspoon said during the postgame press conference.

The energy at Wintrust Arena has been incredible for the entire season, and Sunday was no different. Sky fans roared every time the home team made a three, which was often.

Chicago shot 62.5 percent from range in the first quarter, largely thanks to Rachel Banham, who went 4-for-5 on her first few shots. The Sky cooled down a bit but still had one of their best showings from deep throughout the season, ending with a 56 percent clip.

Teresa Weatherspoon further highlighted the tenacity Chicago showed for outrebounding the Mercury 37-30.

“These young ladies love to be a part of the grit and the grind. They know what they have to do. We have a group of young ladies who compete every single night. Unfortunately, sometimes when you compete like this, the ball doesn’t bounce your way, and you walk off the way that we had to walk tonight. It’s not a great feeling at all. It doesn’t feel freaking good. But the one thing you can look at and see is we competed. And when you compete, you can walk off holding your head high,” Weatherspoon added.

Sky’s playoff hopes stay alive despite Mercury loss

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Chicago’s record fell to 13-24 with their loss to Phoenix. However, on the same day, the Washington Mystics fell to the Atlanta Dream. Thus, the Sky retained their eighth-place standing. Both at 13-25, the Mystics and the Dream are neck-in-neck, possessing the ninth and 10th spots, respectively.

The Sky have two more road games until the regular season’s end. If they want to maximize their chances of keeping the eighth and final postseason spot, they need to win both games. Tuesday’s crucial matchup against the Dream tips off at 6:30 CST.