Chicago Sky retire Allie Quigley’s jersey before win over Dallas

In a fitting tribute, Rebecca Allen, who has acted as a role model for teammates battling injuries, went 5-7 from beyond the arc and tallied 27 points, which is just one-point shy of matching her career-high (28). She is currently the Sky’s leading scorer this season.

“This is definitely because it’s [Quigley’s] game tonight,” Allen told the media in the post-game press conference, referencing Quigley’s prolific three-point scoring prowess.

Quigley played college basketball at DePaul University — a team that also calls Wintrust Arena home. At DePaul, she averaged more than 16 points a game over her college career. She was drafted No. 22 overall in the 2008 WNBA Draft by the Seattle Storm. Her time in the league started off rocky, as she moved between four teams in five years. But in 2013, Quigley came home to Chicago via the Sky, where she became a key part of the team‘s rebuild. In both 2014 and 2015, Quigley won Sixth Player of the Year before becoming a starter and supporting the team through their championship run in 2021.

The Sky honored Quigley with a video tribute featuring her former teammates, including Stefanie Dolson and Diamond DeShields, as well as former coaches Pokey Chatman and James Wade.

“Unbelievable hard work, fortitude, resilience, loyalty, and the belief, even when no one else did believe …,” Sky owner Michael Alter said. “Allie is the perfect person to be the first on the rafters.”

Her wife, injured Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who currently out with a torn ACL this season, narrated a moving tribute video for Quigley. Vandersloot emphasized Quigley’s Chicago roots (she is from the suburb of Joliet) and her legacy on the Sky, including leading them to a championship in 2021. 

In a speech from center court, Vandersloot credited Quigley with making her a better point guard, teammate, leader and person, too.

“I am so lucky she chose me to spend her life with,” Vandersloot said. 

When it was finally Quigley’s turn to speak, she recounted her 26-point performance in the last game of the WNBA Finals in 2021.

“Down 11, heading into the fourth quarter, I thought to myself, time to start letting ‘em fly, no regrets,” she said. As for the rest of the game, Quigley said it was up to the Sky’s all-time assist leader and all-time scorer in Vandersloot. 

“I still can’t believe I grew up 40 miles from here and still got to play for my hometown team,” Quigley said after thanking friends, family, supporters and the Sky.

After her jersey was raised and hung in the rafters, Quigley was gifted a portrait of herself holding the championship trophy, which was done by speed painter Jessica Haas. Haas even gave Quigley a paintbrush, which she used to sign her name.

Want even more women’s sports in your inbox?

Subscribe now to The IX Sports and receive our daily women’s sports newsletter covering soccer, tennis, basketball, golf, hockey and gymnastics from our incredible team of writers. That includes Basketball Wednesday from founder and editor Howard Megdal.

Readers of The IX Basketball now save 50% on their subscription to The IX.

As for the Sky’s bounce back win after a two-game losing streak, Chicago was also led by forward Angel Reese, who picked up her seventh consecutive double-double of 15 points and 11 rebounds. In the fourth quarter, Reese was hit in the face, causing her contact to fall out. She ended up dropping it in head coach Tyler Marsh’s hand as he indignantly motioned to officials that a foul should have been called. But Reese didn’t give up on the play, finishing at the basket for an and-one before hitting the deck. She then popped her contact back in and knocked down the free throw.

After the buzzer sounded on the Sky’s win, Reese picked up Allen and celebrated her career-night by carrying her as the rest of the team surrounded them.

“I really like Angel and picking me up, she knows I’d be embarrassed with that too. So that‘s why she did it. So I mean, that was a lot of fun. Did not expect it at all,” Allen said post-game. “But I mean it also speaks to the chemistry that we have with this team.”

Marsh also praised Allen for her performance: “That‘s the kind of shooter that Bec is,” Marsh told reporters. “… She was able to get some looks off the ball with her continuous movement and cutting, and I think that’s a huge part of her game.”

The Sky will face the top-ranked Minnesota Lynx on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET, and again on Monday at 8 p.m. ET, both at Wintrust Arena.