Partly Cloudy or Partly Sunny? Sky Set for Season
By J. Coyden Palmer
Chicago Sky fans know this season could be a little rough with the departures of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Emma Meesseman, just to name a few. However, there is hope, as Kahleah Copper and Dana Evans, two key components from the 2021 championship team will be taking a prominent role in 2023. The Sky open their season Friday night in Minnesota against the Lynx and Sky General Manager and Head Coach James Wade is feeling good about his team.
“I loved the practice today,” said Wade, from the team’s practice facility in Deerfield, Illinois. “I loved the intensity. I loved the effort. I thought everyone was presenting their case on why they should make this team.”
Wade said he is looking for his bench players to play a vital role in this year’s team and wants them to be able to push his starters and give him some valuable minutes during the regular season. Even though the team may not have as much talent as in year’s past, Wade said it also means there are more opportunities for players to showcase themselves.
“We are going to play our hardest every time. This is always the hardest time of the year for me because you hate having to cut a player who has worked so hard for you. You keep an open mind but you have to get that group and team comradery
going.
As if the basketball Gods haven’t put enough on Wade’s plate, news this week that big-time free agent signing Isabelle Harrison will miss some extended time with a knee injury and 6’7” center Li Yueru is out for the year with an injury are not the report one wants as they are set to cast off into the season. The rough seas expected in the 2023 season are sure to be rougher with two key players out indefinitely.
Evans, a native of Gary, Indiana has been on the radar of many fans since she made her debut in 2021. Many questioned whether she should have played more in last year’s playoffs as she is quick on defense. Now with Vandersloot in New York, Evans will get her shot after the Sky this week picked up the fourth-year option on her contract, meaning she is signed through the end of next season.
“I’m super excited and there are a lot of jitters just waiting for everything to get started,” said Evans, two days before the season begins. “I don’t know the starting group yet but it meant a lot to me when they picked up my fourth-year option. It showed me that Coach Wade believes in me and I can help this team win. It shows that the work pays off. It made me more comfortable here.”
Wade said he plans to put Evans in situations where she can show her strengths. He said he has no expectations for Evans because he doesn’t want to put a limit on what he and others thinks she can do.
Evans admitted that her first year in the league she was in awe. Playing with Candace Parker and Allie Quigley, Chicago-area natives who she grew up watching was a humbling experience for her and she often found herself being more of a cheerleader than she wanted. However, she has always believed in her own skill set, and let it be known in last year’s exit meetings with the coaching staff that they could have confidence in her this season of playing a more prominent role on the team.
“For me it is about seizing the moment when the opportunity comes,” Evans said. “I’m a lot more comfortable this year running the offense than I was in the past. My rookie year it was tough when I’m coming down the court and Candace Parker is looking at me to call a play. But now in my third year, I know what the coaches expect, I know what to do, it’s just a matter of me doing it now.”
With a lot of new faces on the roster this year, Copper said it is realistic to expect early season troubles as the team builds chemistry. She said it is a reality of the WNBA when players are still playing overseas, some are on maternity leave, like Ruthy Hebard and others are battling injuries.
“You can’t really think about the roster at the beginning of the season knowing that it will change drastically in a few weeks,” said Copper. You have to work with what you have here in the moment. We’re just working with the group that we have. I have faith in this group. New is not always bad. We have great pieces here from top to bottom. It takes teams a while to build that chemistry, but I think we are in a good place and can only get better.”
Copper benefited from playing with future Hall of Famer Candace Parker the past two season. Her 2021 season was a breakout year for the Philadelphia native. Last season she was arguably the team’s best player, talent wise. Now her leadership skills will be put to the test and she credited Parker with helping her develop confidence not on in her own game, but her ability to elevate the level of play in others.
“As the leader of this team, I’m just giving grace because there is a lot of information at one time,” Copper said. “I just want to get one percent better every day. Don’t make the same mistake tomorrow that you made today.”
The WNBA expanded season this year means all teams will play 40 regular season games before the playoffs begin. For the second consecutive year, the playoffs will be an all-series format. The first round will be a 2-1 format, with the higher seed hosting the first two games. Wade is not a fan of the format, but said “it is what it is. The semifinals and WNBA Finals will be a best-of-five series.
The Sky will have most of their games televised locally on WCIU, The U, CW26 and Marquee Sports Network. The U and CW26 will broadcast 15 total games across its WCIU platforms and Marquee Sports Network will broadcast and/or stream a total of 28 games this season. They will also be on ESPN and ABC for nationally televised games.
