Good start for Chicago Sky in first preseason skirmish

OK, so it's just the preseason. And defending WNBA champion Detroit was without many of the players who helped win last year's title.

Injuries have already become an issue for the Shock.

But a good start is a good start, and the Chicago Sky is now officially off to one after defeating Detroit Friday at the UIC Pavilion 71-67 in the preseason opener for both teams.

The regular season home opener in Chicago won't take place until June 12, but the Sky will stay busy with three more preseason games and double practice sessions during training camp, which is always a hotbed for stories like these-

Size matters: At 6-foot-2, Candice Dupree isn't exactly short.

But she might feel like it this season when she takes the floor with the Sky's two big bookends, 6-foot-6 Sylvia Fowles and 6-foot-5 Chen Nan.

Fowles, the No. 2 overall pick in the 2008 draft, missed much of her rookie season last year with a knee injury. She's back to full strength now and will start in the post, perhaps alongside Nan, the Sky's newest acquisition.

Nan was a star on the Chinese national team that placed fourth at the Olympic Games last summer. She signed a two-year deal with the Sky.

A lineup with Fowles and Nan would push Dupree, an all-star, out to the perimeter for the first time in her career.

Not that Dupree minds.

"We're a lot bigger with Sylvia and Chen Nan and that's a big plus for me," Dupree said last week. "I played the 5 (center) all four years in college, and came here and started in the 5. But now I'll have more freedom on the perimeter and I'll get to do less banging inside, which is nice."

Dupree says her goal is to attempt at least 40 three-pointers this season, which would be about 35 more than she usually attempts in a season. In three years, Dupree has attempted 17 three-pointers, and made one.

A free lunch? Even though she's technically a professional athlete now, Chicago Sky rookie Kristi Toliver is still stuck in college mode.

At least when it comes to eating.

She just got settled in her downtown apartment, but she hasn't sampled much of the city's cuisine yet.

"I've been to a few places, but I'm still a broke college kid," said Toliver, who hasn't collected her first big paycheck yet. "I'm just mostly trying to cook for myself (to save money). My dad taught me how to cook salmon, so I can step up my game a bit, but I usually end up cooking a lot of pasta just because it's a no-brainer."

For some culinary variety, Toliver has turned to her teammates for help, particularly the more financially secure veterans. She said she asked forward Candice Dupree when she was going to take her out to dinner.

"She looked at me like I was crazy," Toliver laughed.

"Yeah, I gave (Toliver) a hard time about that," Dupree smiled. "But you know, it's always nice if you have a veteran who will take you out to eat when you first get here. (Former Sky guard) Nikki McCray did that for me my first year."

Cold play: Playing in Russia during the offseason was such a positive experience for Sky center Sylvia Fowles that she is already making plans to return next winter.

But with a much heavier coat in tow.

"I had a pretty big coat, but it seemed like it didn't matter how many layers of clothes I put on, I was still cold," Fowles said. "Russia is too cold for a southern girl. But other than that, I loved it. They treated me well and I had a great time."

Fowles also used her time wisely, working out with a personal trainer on the side.

"My agent brought this guy over to work with a few players, and this guy is no more than 5-foot-3," Fowles said. "But I learned a lot from him. He beat me up every day in the post with one of those big pads. It helped. I feel more confident coming into the season."

Fowles, who knows how to say Good morning, thank you and hello in Russian, scored a game-high 21 points in the preseason win over Detroit.

More moms: Jia Perkins wants another Jia Perkins on the team.

And from a basketball standpoint, who wouldn't? Perkins, who averaged a team-high 17 points per game last year for the Sky, is coming off the best season of her five-year career.

But what Perkins really means is that she wouldn't mind having another mom on the team. For now, she's the only one.

"I'm the lone ranger here," said Perkins, whose daughter Aalirah will turn 5 next month. "I could use some help. (Being a mom in the WNBA) isn't easy."

Returning to her old self after her pregnancy wasn't easy for Perkins either.

She says it took awhile to get back into shape, and to reach a point where she felt comfortable again with her game.

There were many times along the way when she wondered if she'd ever find the kind of success she had last season, and during her prosperous college career at Texas Tech.

"Your body changes so much (during pregnancy)," Perkins said. "My first year in the WNBA was challenging because I still had a little bit of baby weight. It's hard to get back to where you were.

"But after last year, I really think I'm getting back to my prime and I'm hoping to build off that this year."