With more depth and size, Sky should make playoffs

Posted June 11, 2009 11:00 pm

By Patricia Babcock McGraw

The old guard is almost gone.

Only four active players from the WNBA's inaugural season in 1997 remain in the league: Lisa Leslie and Tina Thompson of the Los Angeles Sparks, Vickie Johnson of the San Antonio Silver Stars, and Tamecka Dixon of the Indiana Fever.

Clearly, there's room for some fresh faces at the top, and that's where the Chicago Sky comes in.

The Sky is bubbling with potential, mostly because its roster features young, exciting players who may become part of the WNBA's new guard.

Second-year center Sylvia Fowles and fourth-year forward Candice Dupree are two of the best post players in the league. And first-year center Chen Nan (6-foot-6) of China was a star for her country in the Olympics last summer.

Meanwhile, rookie point guard Kristi Toliver and 2007 Rookie of the Year Armintie Price haven't even scratched the surface of their potential.

The question, though, is whether all that talent can translate into team success.

Well, we're about to find out. The Sky got off to a rocky start in its season opener last weekend in Minnesota, a 102-85 loss to the Lynx. They'll get a chance to rebound from that setback with Friday's home opener (7:30 p.m.) against the 2-year-old Atlanta Dream at the UIC Pavilion.

Here are some things to keep an eye on as the Sky launches into its fourth season.

On the upside: The Sky's strength this season will be in the paint. A healthy Fowles, who missed most of last season with a knee injury, will be the focal point of the offense. As her knowledge and confidence begin to catch up to her physical skills, the 6-foot-6 center will be more of a game-changer than she already is. Plus, with Nan, head coach Steven Key should be able to sub and keep Fowles fresh.

The Fowles-Nan rotation also frees Dupree to mix up her game. A potent power forward, Dupree will still fall back into her comfort zone and hammer the ball inside. But it won't be a necessity, which means she can keep bigger defenders on their heels by driving more to the basket. Or she can show off the outside shot she's worked so hard on over the off-season.

Another strength for the Sky this season is depth at every position, particularly at guard.

Led by veteran sharpshooter Jia Perkins, there are a lot of talented perimeter players on this team and the competition there should make for more proficient play.

On the downside: Leadership continues to be a concern for the Sky, which is composed mostly of players who are young, quiet, or both.

Entering her 11th season, guard Dominique Canty is the most veteran player on the roster. Her skills are still sharp and she seems to have the respect of her teammates. But her quiet on-court demeanor challenges her authority as a point guard.

Dupree says she's trying to be more vocal, but she is also relatively soft-spoken. Ditto for Brooke Wyckoff, who is in her eighth year in the league and currently a starter. She's a great role player and well liked, but in a preseason survey taken by general managers, she was voted one of the most easy-going players.

The Sky needs a firm voice to guide it during crunch time, tough times and any other time leadership is a must.

The Sky could also use a go-to player with ice water in her veins. In the past, the team seemed to lack that at crunch time, perhaps because most of the key players were so young. Perkins and Dupree need to play that role this season.

Finally, defense could be an issue with this team. During training camp, Key said defense would be the focus this year, and then the Sky surrendered 102 points in its opener. The Sky figures to be an up-tempo, high-scoring team this year, but that won't mean much if its defense can't put the hurt on anyone.

Surprise, surprise: Who's going to make us do a double-take this season?

Maybe Dupree.

Even though she averaged 16.3 points per game last year and expectations for her are always high, she's added a new twist to her game. Key challenged her to improve her three-point shot enough to attempt 40 treys this season. In three previous seasons combined, she was 1-for-17.

But Dupree is already 2-for-2 from beyond the arc and says she shot three-pointers regularly while playing overseas during the off-season.

Look for Price to be much improved. She has worked tirelessly on making her free throw shooting, and has finally added a mid-range jumper to her game. Defenders who continue to drop off her in an effort to stop her high-flying drives will be sorry.

Old faces, new faces: My picks to click this year are veterans Fowles, Dupree and Perkins. Perkins led the team in scoring (17 ppg) last year and would have been an all-star had the WNBA not skipped the game for the Olympics.

The Sky should also get significant contributions out of newbies Nan, sharp-shooting free agent pickup Erin Thorn, and Toliver, who will likely be starting at point guard before the end of the season.

Prediction: It won't be easy, but the 2009 Chicago Sky will snap up the franchise's first-ever playoff berth.

Chicago Sky's Chen Nan, middle, of China, is congratulated by Shyra Ely, left, and Armintie Price after hitting a shot and being fouled during the second quarter of a preseason WNBA basketball game against the Indiana Fever. Associated Press

Friday's tipoff Atlanta Dream (1-1) at Chicago Sky (0-1) When: 7:30 p.m. Friday at UIC Pavilion TV: NBA TV, Comcast CN 100 Last time: Atlanta lost to the Washington Mystics, 77-71; Chicago lost to the Minnesota Lynx, 102-85. Skinny: With dreams of a playoff berth, winning home games is a must this season. The Sky was 8-9 at the UIC Pavilion last summer- Look for the Sky to bang the ball inside to Sylvia Fowles and Candice Dupree, who scored 15 and 21 points respectively against Minnesota. Guard Jia Perkins led the way against the Lynx with 24 points- The Dream had a nightmare open to the season, back-to-back games last weekend in which the first one went to double overtime. Atlanta won that (87-86) over Indiana but didn't have enough in the tank and lost at Washington the next night, 77-71. Atlanta, now in its second season, revamped almost its entire roster and added a key free agent in Chamique Holdsclaw, the longtime WNBA veteran and former Tennessee star who was on hiatus last season to deal with some personal problems. She's averaging 19 points per game. Next: home vs. Seattle Storm, 5 p.m. Sunday

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