Toliver improved, ready for Sky season
Walking through the streets of Israel, Kristi Toliver blends in better than she would have ever expected.
"I get mistaken for an Israeli all the time," she said.
Toliver, a red-blooded American who grew up in Virginia and is playing basketball in Israel this winter during the WNBA off-season, might want to get used to the feeling.
It's possible she could throw off Sky fans when she returns to Chicago this summer for the WNBA season.
Toliver will look like the same Kristi Toliver, but she won't play like the same Kristi Toliver they saw last summer when she was a rookie point guard for the team.
"For me, it's a clean slate," Toliver told me last week as she walked around her adopted country in sandals, already daydreaming of the start of Sky training camp in April. "After the season ended last summer, I really evaluated myself and I went through and made a list of the ways I wanted to change and get better.
"I'm going to do the best that I can to make a positive impact on the team."
It's not that Toliver didn't do that last season.
She was positively electrifying at times, hitting clutch 3-pointers that contributed significantly to multiple Sky wins. On the season, she led the team with 40 treys.
However, Toliver's playing time was inconsistent - up one game, down the next - as she struggled to get on the same page with head coach Steven Key.
Key loved Toliver's offensive aggressiveness but was concerned about her ballhandling and ability to run the offense from the point.
He knew it would take time for his prized rookie from Maryland to be fluent in all three areas, but felt like he couldn't always wait for her to play through the rough spots.
"He (Key) visited me when I was home (for the holidays) and we talked a lot about this coming season and what he expected and what I needed to work on," Toliver said. "I think I have a much better understanding of where he's coming from and I think he understands where I'm coming from, too."
From a literal sense, Toliver will be coming from a team in Israel in which she is the center of the offense.
She is averaging 20.8 points and 5.7 assists per game. She is often double-teamed and has been handling the ball frequently, and with confidence.
"We have a very young team and I kind of feel like I'm back in college and I'm the senior," Toliver said. "That's actually been kind of good for me. I feel like I'm having to be more in control (of the offense) and that's what I need to do back in Chicago.
"I'm getting a lot better playing over here. I've always had a lot of confidence but I feel like I'm getting even more confident in what I'm doing. It's been a lot of fun to play like that again. I'm enjoying myself. I'm really happy with where I'm at."
But Toliver is ready to move on.
If she could, she'd ditch her sandals - and the Israeli food she's come to enjoy - in a heartbeat and hop the first flight back to Chicago.
"I really miss my family and my friends. I miss America," Toliver said. "It's not like I'm stuck in the middle of nowhere or anything. It's nice here and there's a lot to do. Israel is very Americanized. But I can't wait to get home. I'm ready.
"I'm ready for the new season. I'm excited. I want to make a statement this year in the WNBA."
The new-and-improved Toliver will get her chance soon. Training camp opens in just two months.
pbabcock@dailyherald.com