Joliet Catholic alum Allie Quigley’s jersey the first in Chicago Sky history to be retired

When Allie Quigley was inducted into the DePaul athletics Hall of Fame in January, she had not yet officially retired from the WNBA, although she did say, “It’s probably the end for me.”

In a letter to the Players Tribune on June 10, Quigley made the retirement official. On Wednesday, the Chicago Sky honored her historic career by doing something that’d never been done in franchise history: Hanging her jersey in the rafters.

Quigley, a Joliet native and graduate of Joliet Catholic, had her number 14 jersey retired by the Sky on Wednesday night. Quigley is the first player in Sky history to have her jersey retired.

The retirement ceremony took place at halftime of the Sky’s game against the Dallas Wings, which Chicago won 87-76. Quigley’s ceremony was accompanied by a tribute video narrated by her wife and former Sky teammate Courtney Vandersloot.

“Fourteen is more than just a number,” Vandersloot narrated in the video. “It’s a symbol of loyalty, legacy, and giving your all. ... You’re the purest sharpshooter the WNBA has ever seen. I mean, let’s be real, we all know the three-point contest needs to be renamed the Allie Quigley Invitational.”

Vandersloot was alluding to the WNBA All-Star Game three-point contest, an event she won four times throughout her career, more than any man or woman. No other woman has won it more than once.

The tribute video began with Quigley showing viewers her childhood home on Morgan Street, not far from Joliet Catholic. JCA is where she was named an All-American basketball player in 2004 and where she scored 2,387 career points. She was a member of the inaugural JCA Hall of Champions class in 2014.

Vandersloot mentioned in the tribute video that Joliet would remember her forever. Quigley told the Herald-News back in January that Joliet will always hold a special place in her heart.

“That community raised me not only as a person but as an athlete,” she said then. “I played a bunch of different sports, and we had so many great coaches. Whether it was friends or parents, there was always support.”

Following her Hall of Fame career at DePaul, Quigley bounced around for five years before landing back in Chicago with the Sky. Once she made it, however, her impact was instant.

She was twice named WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year and was a three-time WNBA All-Star. She’d been the Sky’s all-time leading scorer until May 29 when she was passed by her wife.

More than the individual accolades, Quigley’s biggest accomplishment may have come in 2021 when she helped the Sky win their first WNBA title. It was the first professional sports title for the city of Chicago since the Cubs in 2016.

“A hometown kid dropped 26 points to bring this team its first championship,” Vandersloot said in the tribute video. “As much success as you had on the court, what this game brought to you off the court would mean even more.”

Quigley sat out the 2023 and 2024 seasons before making her retirement official in June. The 39-year old’s presence is still felt with the Sky after guard Rebecca Allen dropped 27 points Wednesday while going five-for-seven from deep.

“I was trying to channel a little bit of Allie Quigley,” Allen said. “I mean, this is her night.”

Quigley told the Players Tribune she sat out 2022 with the intent of coming back after becoming a mom. After she and Vandersloot welcomed their daughter into the world on April 8, she figured it was time to give a proper goodbye. She said she’d cherish all of her experiences, especially her time in Joliet.

“Thank you to all my Joliet fam,” she wrote in the Players Tribune." If you’re from Joliet, or you know Joliet, then you know how tight-knit our community is – and how much that community has supported me on this journey. Thank you!!!"