Sky's Wade named WNBA's Coach of the Year

Chicago Sky head coach James Wade was voted the WNBA's 2019 Coach of the Year, the league announced on Wednesday.

Wade received 27 votes from the 43-voter panel of media members. Washington Mystics' Mike Thibault finished second with 12 votes.

In his first year as head coach, Wade shepherded the team to a 20-14 record, a stark turnaround from last year's 13-21 showing.

A major catalyst to Chicago's improvement was the emergence of a potent three-guard backcourt featuring veterans Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot along with second-year pro Diamond DeShields. All three were selected to the All-Star Game this season.

Wade and the Sky will look to keep the good times rolling as they prepare to host the Phoenix Mercury in a Round 1 single-elimination playoff game Wednesday. The Sky won all three regular-season games against the Mercury this season.