The Sky are retiring a jersey for the first time, and they’re doing it with a little flair.
This Wednesday night, they’ll honor Allie Quigley by raising her No. 14 to the rafters.
Quigley left the sport in 2023 as one of the best three-point shooters in WNBA history, sinking more than 500 of them for the Sky. She was also the Sky’s all-time leader in points before her wife, Courtney Vandersloot, surpassed her this season.
To commemorate Quigley, the Sky will host a special halftime performance from “America’s First Female Speed Painter.” Jessica Haas, who holds the record for fastest painting on national TV, will create a live tribute painting.
Haas trained as an artist and still enjoys creating at a leisurely pace on her off days, but she believes that speed painting — where pieces are completed at scale in just minutes — is more of a sport. You train your body for the specific feats of each painting. Then you trust yourself and let muscle memory take over.
“It’s like breaking a wild horse,” Haas told the Sun-Times. “Your brain wants to think, but you don’t have time. You only have time to respond.”
Speed painting also requires the shared discipline of athletes and artists alike: constant practice.
“You can’t just not be doing it for two years and then say, ‘I’ll speed paint today,’” she said. “You gotta stay fresh.”
Haas started speed painting in her teens as a talent in the Miss America pageant. Judges didn’t always know how to receive it, and many people told her she’d be more successful if she changed her talent to something more traditional.
Instead, she stayed true to herself, and found her trick: the element of surprise. In a breakthrough moment that ultimately went viral, she painted Jesus upside down, flipping the easel at the end for the big reveal. The crowd roared. Now she performs regularly at pro sporting events and expects that reaction every time.
And when audiences have seen a speed painter before? That’s when she breaks out the counter move. She’ll make it look like she’s painting one thing, then head-fake and go in a completely different direction.
It’s a fitting tribute act for Quigley, a highly skilled player who delighted audiences and excelled in crunch time. Without her three fourth-quarter three-pointers against the Mercury in Game 4 of the 2021 Finals, the Sky were toast. Instead, they became champions.
But it wasn’t just the accuracy of her shot — it was the aesthetic. Quigley was one of those rare shooters who got close to perfection in rhythm, rotation and release.
Haas is thrilled to help honor Quigley, a hometown legend who played her college and pro ball in the city. She feels a special connection to Chicago, too. It’s the place that gave her one of her first pro sports halftime gigs, not to mention her love of Portillo’s.
“I’m a huge dipped beef girl, with extra sweet peppers,” Haas said.
On Wednesday, Haas and Quigley will share the stage — two masters of their craft, one with a brush, one with a jumper. Here’s hoping there’s Portillo’s waiting after.
