Former Chicago Sky guard Allie Quigley officially retires after 3-year hiatus, will have jersey retired
After a three-year hiatus from the WNBA, 3-point shooting star Allie Quigley made her retirement official in The Players Tribune on Tuesday.
She last played for the Chicago Sky in 2022, which will now go down as the guard's 14th and final season in the W.
"I just took the 2023 season off … then I took the 2024 season off … then I took the 2025 season off….. you get the idea," Quigley wrote. "But all jokes aside, I never actually meant to do an Irish goodbye."
Advertisement
On Wednesday, the Sky announced they will retire Quigley's No. 14 jersey on July 9 against the Dallas Wings. It's the first jersey Chicago will retire in its 20-year franchise history.
Quigley played for the Sky from 2013-22 and became a four-time 3-point shootout champion, three-time All-Star and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year along the way. The former DePaul standout also helped Chicago win its first WNBA championship in 2021, alongside Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker and her wife Courtney Vandersloot. Following that season, Quigley considered riding off into the sunset.
"But after thinking about it a little more, I realized I actually wanted to savor the end of my career," Quigley wrote in The Players Tribune. "I wanted the experience of walking into each arena and knowing it might be the last time I'd ever play there. And I wanted the experience of trying to defend our championship that we worked so hard for, for so long. So that's what I did. I didn't tell a lot of people, but I played in 2022 thinking it would probably be my last season. I really, truly soaked it all in."
Courtney Vandersloot and her wife, Quigley, warm up ahead of a matchup in 2022 — Quigley's final season. (Photo by)
(Ethan Miller via Getty Images)
In 2022, her hometown Sky posted a 26-10 record, and Quigley averaged 11.4 points per game while shooting 42.8% from the field. Chicago bowed out in the WNBA semifinals to the Connecticut Sun that season.
Advertisement
Even then, Quigley didn't officially retire.
Quigley shifted her focus to motherhood, initially thinking that she'd have a child and then leave the door open to play one more season.
Quigley wrote in The Players Tribune that it took her longer to get pregnant than she first expected. She eventually gave birth to her and Vandersloot's daughter Jana Christine in April this year. It was then that she was ready to finally say goodbye to the WNBA.
Before finding her place in the league with the Sky, Quigley went from one WNBA team to the next, spending time in Phoenix, Indiana, San Antonio and Seattle.
Quigley averaged 10.9 points per game during her career, plus shot a blistering 39.4% from deep. She was the Sky's all-time leading scorer until last month when who else but Vandersloot surpassed her on that list. Vandersloot, however, suffered a season-ending ACL tear over the weekend.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
33 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Quinn Buckner reveals Larry Bird only watches Nikola Jokic play: "Larry said there is only one guy that he watches play"
Quinn Buckner reveals Larry Bird only watches Nikola Jokic play: "Larry said there is only one guy that he watches play" originally appeared on Basketball Network. There's always been a quiet link between Larry Bird and Nikola Jokic. Two guys who move at their own speed, see plays before they happen, and do most of their damage without ever breaking a sweat. They're not flashy, not fast, not built like Greek statues, but they control the game in a way very few ever have. Everything slows down when they touch the ball because their mind is already a few frames ahead of everyone else. Advertisement It's not just fans or analysts drawing the comparison anymore — Bird himself has made it. According to Quinn Buckner, the only active player "The Hick from French Lick" actually watches is "The Joker." And if you know anything about the Indiana native, you know that kind of endorsement means something. Bird doesn't hand out compliments, and he definitely doesn't go out of his way to hand the torch off to someone who hasn't earned it. So, for him to put Jokic in his orbit says more than any quote ever could. Larry's admission that he only watches the Serbian center Buckner isn't throwing around second-hand stories. The former Boston Celtics guard played a decade in the league, made four All-Defensive teams, and won the 1984 title next to Bird. He knows what greatness looks like up close — not from the outside looking in but from the trenches. So when he joined "The Dan Patrick Show" and was asked about Bird's legacy, the conversation quickly shifted toward who brought the championship to the Denver Nuggets. Advertisement "I don't know about that. I don't know about that one, Dan," said Q.B. when asked if there was ever going to be a time when "Kodak" drops out of the Top 10 players of all time. It wasn't just a regular compliment. Buckner explained the similarities go deeper than the numbers or the highlights. It's about the way both guys affect everyone around them. The way their teammates elevate just by sharing the floor with them. The Serbian center knows very well how to make the most out of the guys around him, but he has a feeling when he needs to take over as the primary scorer. Just like the three-time MVP knew. "Larry is, that's a uniqueness about him, but I'll tell you who he is comparable to. And Larry said there is only one guy that he watches play. It's Jokic," the retired guard revealed. 'And if you look at 'em, the difference is Jokic is longer. That's about it. He is longer and taller. Whatever the talent they have on their team, those guys play at a higher level for having played with Larry. I know it 'cause I did. And I watch Jokic do that,' he added. 'Larry Bird is as pure a basketball player as you're ever going to find.' Advertisement Related: Luc Longley on why he and Michael Jordan couldn't get along: "Mike was doing what he did to rookies, what he was doing to me" The comparison that makes a perfect sense "Larry Legend" isn't the type to hype up the next generation. He's not trying to stay relevant or attach his name to the current stars. If anything, he's been content staying out of the spotlight. So when the Indiana native goes out of his way to call someone the only guy he watches — and when that someone plays a position Bird never did — that speaks volumes. While the Jokic-Bird comps might seem like a stretch at first glance, they actually make perfect sense. Two players who elevate everyone around them, who value the right read over the loud play, and who keep piling up wins without caring much for the spotlight. Advertisement They do everything without looking like they're doing too much. Just pure basketball IQ with a side of unselfishness. And in a league that's often fueled by flash, that kind of substance still stands out — especially to a guy who built his legacy on it. Related: "God, if you let me get through this, I won't play no more" - Larry Bird describes the moment that made him retire for good This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Jun 6, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
In a Kevin Durant trade, Rockets have limited outgoing salary options
The Houston Rockets are reportedly very interested in a trade for Phoenix Suns superstar Kevin Durant. However, the 15-time NBA All-Star will make nearly $55 million in salary next season. So, to make any deal work under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement, the Rockets will need to send out close to that much in outgoing salary. Advertisement Between Jock Landale and Aaron Holiday, the Rockets do have a combined $13 million in expiring salaries that they could easily trade out, if their 2025-26 contracts are picked up. Both are relatively inessential to Houston's longer-term plans, since neither was a permanent rotation player for the 2024-25 group that finished with the No. 2 record (52-30) in the Western Conference. But that still leaves at least $35 million or so that will need to go out, in order for a deal to work. And because Phoenix is projected to be above the NBA's first apron threshold for team salary, the Suns likely cannot accept a signed-and-traded player to bridge the financial gap. So, to approach that financial ballpark, here is a look at Houston's players who will make at least $10 million in salary next season: Fred VanVleet: $44.9-million team option Dillon Brooks: $22.1 million Jalen Green: $33.3 million Alperen Sengun: $33.9 million Jabari Smith Jr.: $12.4 million Reed Sheppard: $10.6 million Considering that Durant turns 37 years old later this year, it's probably unrealistic to expect Houston to dangle Sengun, a 22-year-old All-Star. And all indications are that Houston plans on keeping VanVleet in any win-now scenarios, which a move for Durant would be. Advertisement So, that leaves Green, Smith, Brooks, and Sheppard as perhaps Houston's most movable assets that make salaries of significance. The Rockets also have future draft capital that could be made available, including several first-round assets from Phoenix, but those mostly do not count for salary purposes. The lone exception would be the 2025 selection at No. 10 overall, should a deal be finalized after the June 25 draft, but that rookie-scale deal carries a starting salary of only $6.0 million. So, even if the 2025 pick is included, draft choices won't move the needle much, financially. They could drive down the asset cost for the player(s) component, but the Rockets would still need to send out enough salaries to make the math work. With all that in mind, Houston could get close to meeting the outgoing salary requirements by including either Green or a combination of Brooks — a good veteran role player, but one lacking upside at 29 years old — and Smith or Sheppard. To that end, there have been some recent tidbits that Green and Smith could be of interest to Phoenix. Advertisement 'If the Rockets were to get involved in this, I think Jalen Green's name would be involved,' ESPN's Brian Windhorst said Wednesday. 'Jabari is a name that I've heard around the league… for a team like Phoenix, they like Jabari, and that goes back to the whole Kevin Durant thing,' The Athletic's Kelly Iko said Tuesday on the Rockets Collective podcast. ESPN front office insider Bobby Marks included Brooks and Sheppard (along with salary fillers and draft compensation) in his hypothetical deal, though recent indications are that Houston remains very bullish on Sheppard's long-term future. Durant is an elite shooter, having averaged 26.6 points per game last season on 52.7% shooting and 43.0% from 3-point range. He's also a 6-foot-11 forward, which would conceivably allow him to absorb minutes that had been going to Brooks and Smith (who are both forwards) or Green (Houston's leading scorer and starter at shooting guard). Advertisement Then again, Durant is 36, and Smith and Green are 22 and 23, respectively. So, there's certainly an argument in favor of sticking with the longer time window and trusting a talented young prospect — which Green and Smith both are — to improve more with time. The bottom line: If Sengun and VanVleet are off the table, a Rockets-Durant deal likely needs to start with one of these two financial frameworks: 1.) Green 2.) Brooks and a second double-digit-million salary from the above list In theory, Houston could try expanding the deal to three or more teams and sign-and-trade one or more of its pending free agents — such as Jeff Green or Jae'Sean Tate — to another team with a trade exception or space beneath the 2025-26 salary cap. But because those players weren't rotation fixtures for the Rockets last season, they likely won't be in line to attract salaries of significance. So, from Houston's perspective, the salary the Rockets need to send out in a multi-team Durant deal would likely be very similar to the two-team framework. Advertisement In the end, it likely comes down to whether general manager Rafael Stone and head coach Ime Udoka view Houston as close enough to true title contention to warrant a short-term Durant stimulus, relative to the longer-term age gap and asset cost of such a deal. Other factors include the exact asking price from the Suns and what Durant's desired contract extension terms would be. Because his current deal expires after next season, any team trading assets for Durant would likely want to ensure that he's around for more than one season. Stay tuned! More: ESPN lists Rockets first among potential Kevin Durant trade suitors with Suns This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: In a Kevin Durant trade, Rockets have limited outgoing salary options
Yahoo
34 minutes ago
- Yahoo
ESPN lists Rockets first among potential Kevin Durant trade suitors with Suns
ESPN insider Shams Charania is listing the Houston Rockets first among a group of five NBA trade suitors for Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. In order, the list consists of the Rockets, the San Antonio Spurs, Minnesota Timberwolves, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks. Advertisement From Charania's reporting: Suns officials and Durant's business partner, Boardroom CEO Rich Kleiman, will continue to meet on trade conversations — with talks expected to escalate before the NBA draft later this month. Durant was nearly traded to the Golden State Warriors at the February 2025 trade deadline before he made it clear that he was not interested in a reunion and preferred to finish the season with the Suns. At the time, sources told ESPN that Durant was blindsided by the Suns including him in any trade conversations. This time around, the sides are expected to work together on his next home. Durant is slated to make $54.7 million next season, so the Rockets would have to send out close to that amount in salary in order for a trade to work, financially. The Athletic's Kelly Iko and Sam Amick previously reported that Durant is very interested in playing for the Rockets. Houston does have a significant amount of future draft capital from Phoenix that could be of interest to the Suns in a trade, but it remains unclear how much (if any) that the Rockets would give up in a deal for Durant — who turns 37 years old later this year. A 6-foot-11 forward, Durant averaged 26.6 points (52.7% FG, 43.0% on 3-pointers), 6.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists in 62 games last season. In February, the former Most Valuable Player (MVP) earned his 15th career All-Star selection. Advertisement More: Report: Suns ramping up trade calls with Rockets about Kevin Durant, draft equity This article originally appeared on Rockets Wire: ESPN lists Rockets first among potential Kevin Durant trade suitors
