Five Local WNBA Legends Who Played with Chicago Sky

Chicago, the largest city in Illinois and third-largest in the United States, has produced numerous famous athletes across various sports. Notable MLB players born in Chicago include Ricky Henderson and Kirby Puckett, while former NBA stars Dwayne Wade and Derrick Rose also hail from the city.

The WNBA has seen significant contributions from athletes with Chicago roots, particularly with the Chicago Sky team. Courtney Vandersloot, a current Sky guard, is married to someone from Chicago, and she played alongside Allie Quigley on the Sky's 2021 WNBA championship team. Quigley, a Chicago Sky legend from Joliet, Illinois, attended DePaul University and began her WNBA career with the Phoenix Mercury in 2008. She was part of the 2021 championship team that defeated her original team, is a two-time WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year, a three-time All-Star, and had her No. 14 jersey retired by the Sky in 2025.

Candace Parker, another Sky legend, grew up near Chicago and played for Naperville Central High School before joining the University of Tennessee. Born in St. Louis, she is the only WNBA player to win Rookie of the Year and MVP in the same season. A three-time WNBA champion, Parker averaged 13.3 points and 8.4 rebounds per game in the 2021 season when the Sky won their only title, marking her second championship after her first with the Los Angeles Sparks.

Cappie Pondexter, raised in Chicago after being born in Oceanside, California, joined the WNBA in 2009 with the Phoenix Mercury, winning two titles before playing for the Sky from 2015 to 2017. A seven-time All-Star, she averaged 12.5 points per game with Chicago and never missed a free throw in playoff games for the team.

Dominique Canty, a Chicago native, began her WNBA career with the Detroit Shock, which later became the Dallas Wings, and also played for the defunct Houston Comets. She spent nine seasons with these teams before joining the Sky.