Sky expecting spectacular season with 'missing pieces' filled in

There were plenty of smiles to go around Monday morning at Chicago Sky media day.

In between chatting with reporters and trying on their uniforms, players hammed it up in front of the camera for pictures that will wind up being used in promotional materials and the team media guide.

There were shots in uniform, in street clothes. There were goofy shots, serious shots. Can you say, "Hello perma-smile."

Then again, you kind of got the feeling that the smiles would have been there anyway.

This is a different kind of preseason for the Sky, one that is dripping with excitement and anticipation.

The Sky, which is set to open its fourth season next month, had one of its best off-seasons in franchise history, acquiring a highly regarded point guard in the draft and a star free agent from China who was one of the best players in last summer's Olympics.

Add former Maryland guard Kristi Toliver and Chen Nan to a solid nucleus that includes a healthy Sylvia Fowles, and potential all-stars Candice Dupree and Jia Perkins, and the Sky's expectations are sky-high.

"I feel like we've got the missing pieces," said Fowles, a 6-foot-6 center who was the No. 2 overall pick in last year's draft and a star in the Olympics in her own right. She led victorious Team USA in scoring despite injuring her knee in a Sky game two months before.

Fowles missed a majority of the Sky's games last summer and wants to put together a full season, especially with the crew she'll now be surrounded by.

"I'm just excited," Fowles said. "I'm ready to get things going. I'm confident that this will be the year. I think a lot of people have a chip on their shoulder because we all feel like we have a lot to prove. We've been good the last couple years, but now we have the opportunity to be great."

The Sky, which has yet to participate in the postseason, has come close to making the playoffs the last two years. Coming up short this summer isn't an option.

"We did our best job yet of acquiring talent," Sky coach Steven Key said. "We got pretty good pretty quick and I think the players appreciate the potential that we now have and that raises expectations a lot."