Joliet Native, Sky's All-Time Leading Scorer Quigley To Skip Season

JOLIET, IL — Allie Quigley has a long list of accomplishments on her basketball resume’, including helping bring a WNBA championship to her hometown Chicago Sky.

But just months after the Sky failed in their attempt to win back-to-back league titles and watching starters Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot elect to play elsewhere next season, Quigley — the Joliet native and former Joliet Catholic and DePaul University star — announced on Monday she will sit out the upcoming season.

Quigley announced the decision on social media in a message that was shared by the Sky. The 13-year WNBA veteran, who spent the past 10 seasons in Chicago, has been rumored to be leaning toward retirement after her wife and teammate Vandersloot signed with the New York Liberty as a free agent.

“I wanted to take this time to let Skytown know how much I will miss you this summer,” Quigley wrote in the post. “I’m not sure what the future holds, but I just wanted to let you know that it has been the joy of my life to play in front of you in my hometown. I know I’ve said this many times, but it really has been a dream come true. Thank you for growing with me and supporting me the last 10 years.”

Quigley, who started her WNBA career in Phoenix, became the first WNBA or NBA player to capture the 3-point shooting contest title four different times, winning it again this past season. For her career, Quigley has connected on 39.4 percent of her 3-point attempts and found her niche with the Sky during her 10 years playing in Chicago.

During her decade with the Sky, Quigley became the team’s all-time leading scorer with 3,723 career points in a Sky uniform. The three-time WNBA All-Star was named the league’s Sixth Woman of the Year in 2014 and 2015. In 2021, Quigley played a key role in helping lead the Sky to their first WNBA championship along with fellow Illinois native Parker, who starred at Naperville Central before joining the Sky ahead of the team's championship season.

After the Sky were eliminated from the playoffs this past season, Quigley acknowledged that her playing days may be over. However, on Monday, ESPN reported that Quigley will not retire despite choosing not to play in the upcoming season.

Asked after the Sky’s season-ending loss what the game has meant to her, she replied, “(basketball) has given me more than I could have ever imagined. I always wanted to make the league, but the second I got in it, I was like, ‘I don’t know if I can make this league’ — I never imagined it ending up like this or having the career I had.

“Being able to do it in Chicago with my family, and meet my wife is unbelievable. I couldn’t ask for anything better. It’s a dream come true.