Last fall, the Chicago Sky won its first WNBA title in a 80-74 victory over the Phoenix Mercury at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago. Fans were ecstatic, declaring the win a victory for both the team and women’s sports as a whole. But at the time, basketball-loving Chicagoans reported challenges finding merchandise to celebrate the city’s hottest sports team.
Months later, Sky merchandise is a little easier to find but access could still be improved, retailers and fans say. That’s something that may be of note to the fans planning to descend upon Wintrust Arena this weekend for the WNBA All-Star Game, which will be played at noon Sunday .
Four Sky players are set to make appearances at the All-Star Game. Sky star Candace Parker was the first draft pick. She’ll be joined in the arena by Chicago teammates Kahleah Copper, Emma Meesseman and Courtney Vandersloot, all of whom are reserves.
Outside the arena, it may be a little easier for fans to access merchandise in bricks-and-mortar stores than it was in the immediate aftermath of the team’s championship win. But lags in the time it takes for merchandise to arrive after retailers order it means there’s generally more availability online — though online purchases require fans to wait for shipping and delivery.
Jason Caref, co-owner of Clark Street Sports, which has a number of locations in the Chicago area, said he wants to sell “as much Sky merchandise we can get our hands on.” Caref said he ordered Candace Parker bobbleheads after the team won the WNBA championship last year. The bobbleheads came in about a month ago, he said. They are the only Sky merchandise he has in stock right now, and they sell.
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A man who identified himself as one of the managers of Chicago Sports & Novelty on Michigan Avenue said the store sells kids Sky T-shirts, as well keychains, can huggies and lanyards. The store ordered adult Sky merchandise before the team’s season started, but it still hadn’t arrived, the manager said.
Caref said Clark Street Sports orders merchandise far in advance — he placed an order this week for more Sky products that will arrive next spring. He also plans to order Sky items on “chase,” meaning merchandise that is made domestically and can be shipped more quickly than the store’s typical orders, which are produced internationally.
The chase products, he said in a text message, are “for when Sky win the championship again!”
Caref said that last year, global supply chain issues related to COVID-19 scrambled retailers’ ability to place orders for chase product.
“You think about a business like mine, our niche is we carry Chicago teams,” Caref said. He pointed to the records of the city’s other sports teams, including the Cubs, White Sox, Bears and Blackhawks.
“The only good teams right now are the Sky and the Bulls,” he said.
Brian Panganiban, creator of social media fan account The Sky Show Chi, said Sky merchandise availability had improved online, though it can still be difficult to find products in person.
And Panganiban said that, despite the increased availability, he thinks there is still a gap between the amount of merchandise available for Sky fans and the amount fans of men’s sports teams have access to.
“I think, just Bulls merchandising you have so options, so many different kinds of jerseys out there. Any fan of any sort — like an adult fan, a women’s fit, a youth, a toddler, even pets and stuff — they all kind have the opportunity to get whatever Bulls merchandise they’re kind of looking for,” he said.
Peyton Moriarity, a spokesperson for Dick’s Sporting Goods, which is the official sporting goods retail partner of the WNBA, said the company has 16 stores in the Chicago market that carry Sky merchandise. The company carries Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, and Kahleah Copper T-shirts, as well as adult Parker jerseys and youth Parker and Vandersloot jerseys, she said. It does not carry Emma Meesseman products. All-Star Game specific T-shirts are available on the Dick’s website, Moriarity said.
Moriarity said that in Chicago, Dick’s locations in the South Loop and Lincoln Park will carry all-star merchandise.
Fanatics, one of the largest sports retailers in the U.S., did not list any Sky jerseys in its online store in October. Now, it sells customizable Chicago Sky and 2022 All-Star Game jerseys, which retail for $129.99 and $139.99, respectively.
And as far as representation from the Sky’s 2022 All-Stars goes, the company also sells two women’s Candace Parker jerseys. It sells a Courtney Vandersloot 2021 All-Star jersey, an Emma Meesseman T-shirt from her time on the Washington Mystics and no Kahleah Copper merchandise. Fans can also choose from a host of general Sky merchandise, such as slides and sweatshirts.
Caref said demand for Sky products was highest right around the Sky’s championship win but he was still hearing from fans who wanted to buy team merchandise.
“It’s why I really want to carry it,” he said.
