NFL
By: Jeff Newholm
Present Nostalgia Clouds Unhappy Horizon
After the climactic decisive battle in Mega Man Legends 2,Mega Man’s allies face a disappointing reality. With the blue hero stuck aboard the space station Elysium despite his triumph, Earth’s freedom fighters must fend on their own until his triumphant return in…
A cancelled Legends 3?
Alas, for the 2025 Chicago Sky, reminisces of a championship’s past are all fans can grasp with Chicago currently 2-6 and coming off deflating losses to underwomaned Indiana and mighty New York. With a devastating injury to their leader (more on her in a moment), the Sky has fallen to depths not seen in Chicago hoops since Michael Jordan’s minor league detour.
Say it ain’t’ so, Slooty!
At the 5:29 mark of the first quarter of the much ballyhooed (and rightfully so!) United Center Sky debut, Chicago’s hoops GOAT, Courtney Vandersloot, slumped painfully to the court during a drive to Indiana’s basket. The play was tactically clean: the Fever defenders performed their job suitably. This genuine faultlessness from Indiana, however, did not alleviate the immense suffering “Slooty” visibly experienced in the suddenly silent Center.
Chicago confirmed the next day that Vandersloot had torn her right ACL and would miss the rest of the 2025 season.
It is so!
To make on-court concerns worse following that one-sided 52-79 clouding, Chicago’s next foe awaited in Brooklyn. The then-and-still undefeated Liberty played a solid first half, but New York’s 52-32 intermission lead was through no lack of passion from the Sky side. Alas, after an, ahem, questionable flagrant foul called on Angel Reese and an equally befuddling no-call on a lost Reese ball, the frustrated Chicago hoopers subtly lost a collective composure. Not behaviorally, thankfully, but via an underwhelming effort in a lost cause.
Thankfully, Skyrider fans, two vital dates will clear our skies and calendars this summer.
A Realized Imagining
On May 28th, the Sky announced that the team was retiringChicago native and cross-country basketball legend’s Candace Parker’s #3 on August 25th.
“I never imagined one day,” Parker relayed via Chicago’s press release, “my jersey would hang in the rafters of my hometown team.”
It is so! Parker’s efforts proved necessary and sufficient to lead Chicago to their first championship, in 2021. The Sky blasted the W’s regular season in 2022 before the fatigue from their immensely successful efforts downed Chicago one game shy of the Finals.
Later, on June 11th, Chicago announced the upcoming retirement of Allie Quigley’s #14 on July 9th. Quigley, despite sitting out 2023 and 2024 before her official retirement this June, is still Chicago’s all-time leader in made threes at 504 and won the W’s three-point contest an unthinkable four times. As if these accomplishments were not enough (which they are anyways), Quigley’s largest cap feather is her strong and growing family. Quigley and her wife, none other than Vandersloot, welcomed young Jana to our Earth in April.
Although raising a daughter will provide different joys and challenges for the “Vanderquigs” than basketball presented, Quigley still voiced immense satisfaction in her upcoming number protection. “I feel so lucky to have been able to play in the WNBA and live out my dream,” Quigley expressed in Chicago’s 6/11 press release. “And to be able to play in Chicago for my hometown team?!? It doesn’t get any better. All I can say is THANK YOU!”
Doesn’t get better? Certainly, a correct assessment for the holy triumphant of Parker, Quigley, and Vandersloot. However, this year’s team can improve much and refreshingly has months to experience this heightening.
Elysium Spites Chicago
Due to gaming company Capcom’s bungling of Legends 3, Mega Man is not walking through Kennedy Space Center anytime soon. But what of the more important, not to mention real, Sky franchise?
As ESPN’s Ryan Rucco helpfully, but distressingly, communicated on the Liberty broadcast, Minnesota holds Chicago’s 2026 first-round pick via an offseason trade. New head coach Tyler Marsh expressed an authentic desire to compete in Chicago. Unfortunately, the Sky will not make the playoffs if opposing players, such as New York’s lanky Breanna Stewart and embattling Natasha Cloud, have the size and skillsthat less-experienced Chicago cannot yet match.
Yes, attendance, media and TV views, and general positive engagement have never been higher for the better sex’s premier basketball league. The league is moving from last generation’s greats, such as Vandersloot, and arriving to welcome a new group, including Indiana’s Caitlin Clark and Minnesota’s Napheesa Collier. Therefore, fans no longer need to fret NFL training camp snores or MLB strikeouts, Jordan or no Jordan.
Alas, until a new legend rises in McCormick Park, whoever she may be, Chicago supporters can only stare at the atmosphere, waiting ever so impatiently for a Sky star to fall from Elysium.
