Sloppiness dooms Sky in blowout loss to Liberty
The Chicago Sky didn’t commit more than 23 turnovers in any game in 2024.
That streak lasted just one game into the 2025 campaign. In its home opener against the defending champion New York Liberty, the Sky coughed the ball up 24 times. That’s the highest mark for the team since June 6, 2022, and the players were understandably frustrated with themselves.
“A lot of (the turnovers) are just dumb plays. We’re trying to make plays, we’re just not making the right plays,” point guard Courtney Vandersloot said. “Offensively, we haven’t really found our groove yet and we’re a little out of rhythm.”
Unfortunately for the Sky, the Liberty was very much in rhythm Thursday night. The visitors drilled 19 3-pointers in their 99-74 romp, a new WNBA record for a single game. New York was also hyperefficient shooting from deep — the Liberty made 55.9% of its 3-pointers.
“When a team gets hot like that, it makes things difficult. But when they’re shooting 55% from the 3, we’ve gotta do better than that,” Vandersloot said. “We’ve gotta focus on making in-game adjustments and learning as we go.”
On the bright side for the Sky, the offense was flowing nicely — at least when it was holding onto the ball. Chicago made 11 of its 27 3-pointers, good for a 40.7% clip. However, the Sky also shot just 14 of 42 from 2-point range and also missed 12 of 25 free throws. For head coach Tyler Marsh, the offensive issues lie in spacing.
“When the ball is moving, when our bodies are moving, that’s what opens up those drive and kick 3s. Other times we get a little bit stagnant and play in crowds too much,” Marsh said. “We’ve just gotta be strong with the ball. We’re getting some good looks, we just need more of them.”
Rebecca Allen could be a major beneficiary of those looks. After playing just 18 games with the Phoenix Mercury a season ago, Allen has played the most minutes off the bench in both games for Chicago. Against the Liberty, she had 11 points in 20 minutes but also made key contributions on the glass with 4 rebounds.
“Defensively, I want to be disruptive. I want to be good energy for everyone,” Allen said. “I don’t think it matters if I start or come off the bench, I just want to make an impact.”
Of course, even impactful rebounding can’t win games if the Sky keeps giving the ball away. Chicago has won the rebounding battle in both of its contests so far but has been blown out in both. For Marsh, it’s paramount to make sure the team can hold onto the ball after picking up rebounds.
“The turnovers are a thing that’s still a thorn in our side. This is the second game that we’ve had more possessions than our opponent, but we’ve came out on the short end in both,” Marsh said. “The amount of possessions is good, but at the same time, we’ve got to be able to convert.”
The first chance to bounce back from the back-to-back blowouts will come Monday, when the Sky is on the road against the Los Angeles Sparks. Even with an 0-2 start, the players are still holding their heads high.
“We’re not gonna let two losses in a really good league stop us from the path we’re choosing,” Vandersloot said. “We’re still in a great place mentally … we just need to figure some things out.”