Chicago Sky Parade to take place in Millennium Park for WNBA Championship win over Phoenix Mercury, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said


CHICAGO (WLS) – The Chicago Sky won their first championship on Sunday, beating the Phoenix Mercury 80-74 in Game 4 of the 2021 WNBA Finals.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot told 670 The Score on Monday morning that the championship rally would take place in Millennium Park on Tuesday.

“It’s great, you know what I mean, it’s great for the city, great for the vibe, they had to do what they had to do in four games and I’m just proud of them fan RJ Brown said.

Lightfoot agreed the city needed the win right now. She embraced the win on Monday morning in her interview with 670 The Score, saying the title came at the perfect time for Chicago.

“You have to take the good to the right… take the wins, and there’s a lot of really good stuff going on in our city,” said Lightfoot. “Obviously, we focus a lot of time and attention on the real stuff. But the good stuff can’t be overshadowed. And it’s an amazing story.”

Lightfoot confirmed details of a championship rally in this interview, saying the city will have a celebration Tuesday at Millennium Park. Her family has already made arrangements to be there.

“It will be tomorrow and we will release the details later today and I really encourage everyone to come,” said Lightfoot. “My daughter has been lobbying before, she took a day off so she could be there. I think it’s going to be a great crowd.”

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The historic victory brought a special atmosphere to the whole city, and a sold-out crowd at Wintrust Arena went through a roller coaster of emotions throughout this game. The WNBA said more than 10,000 people witnessed the story as Sky won its first-ever championship.

Andy Nussbaum, who coached Sky star Candace Parker when she was in Naperville Central High School, was in the stands to witness it.

“She’s a wonderful human being, in 32 years she’s the top three nicest players we’ve ever had,” he said.

“It was like a memory of the state’s victory at Naperville Central, the realization that we won and it’s ours,” Parker recalled after Sunday’s victory. “Dude, there’s nothing like coming home.”

“It was so much fun to watch, as a basketball coach,” Nussbaum added. “So much pride. We’re so proud of her, being able to call her Red Hawk is just awesome.”

Some of Chicago’s own stars even stepped out, including Chance the Rapper, to cheer on the team and celebrate the huge victory.

“It was the craziest game I have ever seen in my life until the last second and they really fought,” said Chance. “They took that victory back.”

Sky fan Kelsey Kelley shared her excitement after the game outside of Wintrust Arena.

“I got chills,” Kelley said. “I knew they were going to come back. Just when Allie got hot I was like ‘oh they got it.'”

Chicago Sky parade route, street closures, celebration details

The Chicago Sky parade and celebrations will begin at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, with the team departing from Wintrust Arena and heading to the Jay Pritzker Pavilion in Millennium Park for a rally that begins at noon.

The parade will leave Wintrust Arena, then head north on Michigan Avenue, from Roosevelt Road to Randolph Street. Then the road will turn east to the Pritzker Pavilion. Fans are encouraged to rally along the course to cheer on the team.

The celebratory gathering will take place at the Pritzker Pavilion at noon. It is free and open to the public, but all participants must pass a security check at the Monroe Street and Michigan Avenue entrances.

Following the celebration, the following rolling street closures are expected to begin after 10 a.m.:

  • On Indiana Ave from 21st Street in Cermak
  • On Michigan Avenue from Roosevelt Road to Randolph Street
  • The streets will reopen once the procession has passed, city officials said.

    Randolph Street between Michigan Avenue and Upper Columbus will also be closed for a short time once Chicago Sky buses arrive in Millennium Park.

    CTA buses will be diverted in the city center due to the parade and celebration. Officials are encouraging the use of public transportation to attend the parade and rally.

    Metra also offers an unlimited one-day trip ticket for $ 5 for the celebration. Passengers are encouraged to purchase their ticket in advance.

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