Sky tries to stay positive during another lost season
So where did it all go wrong for the Sky this year?
Certainly, when veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot went down with a season-ending knee injury in the team’s seventh game, that was a waterfall moment.
Talent accumulation in general was a problem. The Sky chose not to re-sign last year's leading scorer, guard Chennedy Carter. No other WNBA team signed her either, so there's no point second-guessing. But the Sky didn't add enough talent to replace her.
So here they sit, with an 8-23 record and 13 games left to play, beginning Wednesday in Connecticut. What is there for the Sky to accomplish at this point?
“The goal is still to win games,” first-year head coach Tyler Marsh said after Monday's practice in Deerfield. “I think we're in a position where we want to still be able to play our best basketball moving forward and end the last part of this season on a good stretch. There's always something to play for.”
The one thing the Sky has been good at is grabbing rebounds. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso rank first and fourth in the league, respectively, in the category. Reese has missed the last five games with a back injury and Marsh called her status day-to-day. Top scorers Reese and Ariel Atkins have missed a combined 15 games this season.
Otherwise, there isn't anything promising in the statistics. The Sky commits the most turnovers in the WNBA, and forces the fewest. The Sky ranks second-to-last in both offensive and defensive rating, and give up the most 3-pointers.
But Monday's practice was certainly spirited. One goal this season was to create a positive and professional atmosphere by bringing in some established veterans to support younger players like Reese, Cardoso and rookie Haley Van Lith.
Marsh says the positive atmosphere still exists, despite the playoffs slipping out of reach.
“Yeah, I think you can tell from the energy that the players approach each day with,” Marsh said. “I know sometimes that's not always seen from the outside. You have to be around day to day to understand what the vibe is around here.
“There's still an upbeat type of vibe to them. That's not to say we're complacent or happy with where we are (in the) standings. That's to say there's a genuine joy in being around each other for those that are here.”
In the WNBA, there are no huge salaries or long-term contracts. One key to building a good team is being able to lure free agents, who will generally get the same salary anywhere they go.
By hiring Marsh, a former Las Vegas Aces assistant, and building a dedicated practice facility in southwest suburban Bedford Park, the Sky is trying to become a preferred WNBA destination. It's going to be an uphill battle, considering the team's unsuccessful history, outside of the one championship in 2021.
This is Marsh's first head coaching job. The season has not gone well and one challenge for a coach in his situation is not to take the won-lost record personally.
“I lean on my faith first and foremost, but for me, I've got a team full of players and a staff full of hard-workers that are dependent on me,” Marsh said. “So if they see me down in these moments, then it doesn't really set a good precedent being the leader of this team and of this organization.
“My responsibility is to continue to stand strong on who I am and who I can be for this team, and who this team needs me to be. Again, there's a bigger picture in mind for us.”
A bigger picture that for now finds the Sky falling behind as the WNBA adds new teams and more competition.