Chicago's WNBA team announces its name -- the Sky

By TARA BURGHART, Associated Press Writer
September 20, 2005
CHICAGO (AP) -- With the city's famous skyline as a backdrop, Chicago's WNBA franchise announced Tuesday the new team will be called the Sky, with light blue and yellow as its colors.

The team has been without a moniker since February, when the league awarded real estate developer Michael Alter an expansion franchise to begin play next year.

The organization wanted a name that was distinctively Chicago and conveyed a sense of high energy, team CEO and president Margaret Stender said.

ADVERTISEMENT


She joked that discarded choices included the Loopsters and the Deep Dishes, references to the business district and the city's preferred style of pizza. The group choosing the name wanted to avoid connections to the city's weather or the Great Chicago Fire, but struggled to come up with something appropriate.

``And then it dawned on us, there it is,'' Stender said, pointing to the skyline behind her. ``Everything that Chicago stands for. How it towers, how it inspires, its character, how it stands to face the world.''

The name, team colors and logo were revealed at a fan appreciation event held outside the Adler Planetarium, which sits on Lake Michigan just south of downtown. The Sky logo includes a basketball nestled in the clouds above a skyscraper that forms the letter ``K.''

NBA Hall of Famer Dave Cowens was previously named general manager and coach of the team, which will play at the UIC Pavilion. Located on the campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago, the building seats about 6,500 fans.

Stender said about 1,000 season tickets have already been sold, and the goal is to total 2,500 to 3,000 before play begins.

Audrey Reynolds, 23, of Long Grove, sported a Chicago 2006 WNBA shirt at the event. A fan of professional and college basketball, Reynolds said she has been waiting for Chicago to get a franchise since the league began play in 1997.

``The players are all really cool, they're really accessible. You can get really good seats to games. And the basketball is great,'' Reynolds said.

Scott Williams, 41, of Joliet, brought his daughter and her teammate on the basketball team he coaches to the announcement.

The girls were eager to participate in a basketball clinic following afterward the event. The clinic was conducted by several WNBA stars, including Diana Taurasi of the Phoenix Mercury.

Briana Williams, 13, said she likes the ``players and the sportsmanship'' in the WNBA.

Her father -- already a season ticket holder -- said he likes that the WNBA inspires his daughter and her friend to believe they could also play professional basketball someday.

Plus, going to the games, he said, ``creates family memories. ... The (WNBA's) emphasis is on families because it's affordable.''