Chatman's Sky goals: Playoffs and confetti
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Illinois is one of three states that doesn't require motorcyclists to wear helmets.
But that doesn't mean Pokey Chatman will discard her own personal rule when she takes to the streets of Chicago next summer for a relaxing ride on her Harley.
Chatman is a stickler for wearing a helmet, and has been since she started riding motorcycles eight years ago.
“I guess I just like Pokey too much not to,” Chatman said with a laugh.
Apparently, Pokey's not the only one who really likes Pokey, the new head coach of the Chicago Sky.
Chatman, currently the head coach of a professional women's basketball team in Russia, hasn't been in Chicago since she was named the Sky's head coach in October during a news conference in which she spoke to reporters via Skype from Moscow.
As part of her break for the holidays, she's come to Chicago for a few days to meet in person with team personnel, fans and reporters.
On Tuesday, she was greeted by a restaurant full of energetic season-ticket holders who applauded her the second she entered the room. They couldn't wait to chat her up about the upcoming season.
On Wednesday, Chatman talked with reporters about the lofty expectations she and fans have for the upcoming season.
With a resume that includes trips to the Final Four as the head coach at LSU and league championships with her team in Russia, Chatman is widely seen as the answer to the Sky's playoff prayers.
Entering its sixth season this summer, the franchise is still seeking its first WNBA playoff appearance.
“Playoffs and confetti,” said Chatman, a former point guard who has coached Sky stars Sylvia Fowles and Epiphanny Prince in Russia. “Those are my goals. It's funny, I met a woman at that party for the season-ticket holders and she introduced herself and told me that she's been a season-ticket holder every year and that she likes confetti.
“I told her, ‘I like confetti, too.' My first goal with this team is the playoffs. But I want more. I want championships and the confetti. I'm greedy, I guess. And I'm impatient. I want to (win today, not tomorrow), and everybody has to be on the same page with me. What other option is there?”
The Sky doesn't want to find out.
Last summer, the team moved to Allstate Arena in an effort to be more centrally located for its suburban-heavy fan base.
While attendance numbers improved from their marks at UIC Pavilion, the team's former home, they need to improve even more in order for the team to stay viable.
The Sky is hoping that winning will get more fans through the doors.
And Chatman has delivered victories every other place she's coached.
“No one will put more pressure on me than I will put on myself,” Chatman said. “You have to. It's what we do. It's how you excel. I have really high expectations for next season.”
