Chicago Sky Offseason Update #1: EuroLeague Openers Ahead
When the 2023–24 EuroLeague season opens on Wednesday (10/4), as many as four Sky players could be in action with a further four players contracted to European sides focused on domestic play or patiently waiting for their EuroCup (the second tier continental competition) debuts on the 11th.
Robyn Parks figures to be the Sky player making the biggest impact in the first round of EuroLeague fixtures as her side Famila Schio (Italy) host AZS UMCS Lublin of Poland. Parks was involved with her new team for the first time on Sunday when PF Schio’s 38 point victory took them to the top of the Italian standings. Because of the margin of victory, Parks was scarcely involved in the second half but managed to score 7 points on 6 shots. Moving from a team who finished 7th a season ago to the reigning league champions figures to lead to a slight drop off in production for Parks (19.4 PPG last year), but her role as a starter from the opening game suggests she’ll have plenty of chances to fill up the stat sheet again this season. Lublin will be making their EuroLeague debut, and Parks and Schio (who finished third in the EuroLeague last year) could have a relaxing second half once again on Wednesday.
Elsewhere, Sika Koné’s busy return to Spain continues as her side Perfumerías Avenida make the trip to Turkey for what figures to be one of the showcase fixtures of match day one against CBK Mersin. Koné made her debut for Avenida — EL quarterfinalists a season ago — against SPAR Gran Canaria in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup. The stat sheet doesn’t perfectly reflect it (5 points, 2 rebounds, 3 turnovers) but Koné delivered her usual dose of energy off the bench. That said, Avenida’s play with the second unit on the floor suffered (Koné was -17 in 11:16) and that was reflected with the lack of playing time (just 1:40) Sika received in Sunday’s loss to Valencia in the final. In any case, Avenida’s busy calendar and ambitions to go deep in the EuroLeague suggest that there will be plenty of chances for Koné to get on the floor. Hopefully, the coaching staff will show faith in her potential and continue the crafting of her game that started under James Wade and was ongoing with Emre when the Sky season ended.
Across the way, Mersin — losing finalists in the EL last term — will have a particularly strong dose of Sky flavor when Marina Mabrey and Elizabeth Williams link up with the team in the coming weeks. Neither was present for Mersin’s win on Sunday which moved them to 3–1 so far — meaning neither will likely feature against Avenida. To keep her game sharp, Williams trained at her alma mater Duke’s campus over the weekend.
Mersin have traditionally kept a strong collection of WNBA talent on their roster but Marina (14.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG, 3.6 APG with PF Schio in 22–23 EL) and Elizabeth (10.1 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.4 BPG with Mersin) figure to be the two key cogs of the team’s hunt for the EuroLeague title next spring.
Elsewhere in Turkey, Alanna Smith will have to wait another week for EuroCup play to start, but she was off the mark quickly in the domestic league. Her side Emlak Konut got back to .500 through 4 games with a comfortable 18-point win where the Aussie led the way with 31 and 17 boards. Unsurprisingly, she was relatively efficient — scoring her points on just 22 shots (including an out of character 0–5 afternoon from three). There’s typically some pretty eye-popping numbers overseas, but Smith figures to be one of the Turkish league’s top scorers once the threes start falling. I’m not sure how much (if at all) executives consider European numbers when handing out WNBA contracts but Smith continues to make the case for a big contract this winter. Emlak Konut will be back in action next Sunday (10/8) against fellow 2–2 side Izmit in the Turkish league.
Speaking of fast starts, Dana Evans highlighted the difference in her approach overseas on Friday and displayed that aggressive mindset with a 28-point outing in her season debut for Beşiktaş. Having averaged 23.5 and 6 assists last season with the same club, Evans aways figured to be well-positioned for a fast start. However, the efficiency she displayed (4/7 from deep, 8/9 at the stripe) in the Beşiktaş win suggests that Dana is already on her way towards improving in the areas (particularly three point shooting) she mentioned as ‘offseason’ targets in her exit interviews last month. As per usual, Evans was a global contributor to the box score with a steal, three rebounds and four assists (against just one turnover). Time will tell what the Sky’s plans for next season’s backcourt are but Evans figures to be one of the most ball-dominant players in Europe this winter. Beşiktaş return to action next Sunday away to last place Çanyaka.
Taylor Soule figures to be one of the more fascinating Sky players to watch in Europe this winter as she looks to build off of a sparse rookie season in the W. Her debut was, in large part, a success as Alama San Martino di Lupari sit just behind Parks’ PF Schio in the Italian table after an opening victory (by a much slimmer but still comfortable 14 points). Soule scored 9 points on 50% shooting and grabbed 2 rebounds but, crucially, she played more than 26 minutes as the first player off the bench. Kah has frequently spoken about the difficulty going from a heavy-minute star to a bit-part player when moving to the W and Soule definitely will have felt that crunch in Chicago this summer. From a confidence perspective, getting a lot of time on the floor will be huge for the Virginia Tech product as she heads towards year two.
Morgan Bertsch is the eighth and final Sky player who’s signed to a European contract. While Spar Girona missed out on the Super Cup that Koné’s Avenida finished second in, Bertsch made her debut for the side in the final of the Catalan National League on Sunday — which Girona narrowly lost despite a last-second Bertsch basket. They’ll return to league play after an opening loss next Saturday (10/7) when they host fellow Catalan side Barcelona.
Outside of Europe, Rebekah Gardner is expected to spend the winter rehabbing with hopes to start the 2024 WNBA season fully healthy. Fellow long-term absentee Isabelle Harrison is also still rehabbing, though competing in Athletes Unlimited in 2024 is still possible. Likewise, Courtney Williams will presumably return to Athletes Unlimited after finishing 16th in the player-scoreboard in 2023. Ruthy Hebard, too, will be staying stateside but will join her former college assistant Mark Campbell, now the head coach at TCU, on the bench this season. The assistant gig, presumably, offers the perfect chance for Hebard to avoid a challenging move overseas with her new child while still staying sharp by competing alongside the Horned Frogs squad in practice. As an added bonus, Hebard will get a chance to evaluate whether she sees coaching as an attractive option for her post-playing career.
Lastly, Kahleah Copper’s offseason plans have yet to fully take shape. She suggested in her exit interview that she was considering a stint in Europe after taking the winter off last year. Her max contract gives her some flexibility, but we all know the European payday is often (if not always) more lucrative — especially for a player who was EuroLeague MVP the last time she laced them up in 2022. As the weeks go by, the odds become less likely she competes in Europe, but Athletes Unlimited is always there as an option for her as well (I tend to think the format really suits her). In any case, Copper’s biggest focus this offseason, whether the franchise notes it publicly or not, may well be offering some assistant GM support to the Sky’s makeshift front office as they move towards a hiring a new coach.
If you’re interested in catching the Sky players in the EuroLeague this week, you can check out the games at the links below(free on YouTube):
Sika Koné — Perfumerias Avenida vs. CBK Mersin (Williams/Mabrey) — Wednesday, 11:00 AM CT — Watch Here
Robyn Parks — PF Schio vs. Lublin — Wednesday, 1:00 PM CT — Watch Here
