Chicago Sky Offseason Update #22: MVParks

Robyn Parks & Schio claim their first silverware, Marina Mabrey explodes in the EuroLeague quarterfinals and Brianna Turner & Adelaide pull an upset.

Marina Mabrey & Elizabeth Williams (CBK Mersin — Turkey)

With Mabrey and point guard Olivia Époupa both resting ahead of Wednesday’s visit from Zaragoza, things were always going to be tough and an ice cold night shooting the ball (29/20/69 splits) meant that even a strong defensive outing (37% FG allowed) could do little to save Mersin. Williams (3 blocks) was, of course, instrumental to that defensive effort, and her offensive showing (12 pt, 4/8 FG) would’ve been more than suitable in a game where Mersin had their usual array of weapons. Given the return of Mabrey and Époupa and the arrival of Kahleah Copper and Stephanie Mavunga is just around the corner, I wouldn’t read too much into this game. While it does dent their chances of moving up to claim a better seed, teams 2-6 in the Turkish standings have been very balanced throughout the year—meaning a full-strength Mersin won’t be too overmatched by anyone as long as they avoid the 8 seed and Fenerbahçe.

It seems rather academic that Mersin would be much improved with all four of Saturday’s absentees in the line-up, but Wednesday’s EuroLeague win over Zaragoza felt like something more than a simple change in personnel. Mavunga and Copper—even in the absence of Williams—gave Mersin a much needed shot in the arm which produced an energetic start that saw Époupa (7) and the rest of the Mersin starters dominating the offensive glass (19-8 edge). With all of those extra possessions, Mabrey was able to take over the game offensively and put up 22 first-half points with Mersin leading by 9 at the break. From there, Mabrey’s scoring slowed considerably (26 pts total, only 5 shots after half-time), but her side were able to expertly manage the gap they had created at the break by allowing just 20 points after half. Again, the two new faces were key to this effort with Mavunga registering 3 steals and a block and Kah adding 2 steals of her own while serving as a defensive irritant to Zaragoza star Leonie Fiebich.

Dana Evans (Beşiktaş — Turkey)

Evans and Beşiktaş came flying out of the gates Sunday against Fener to build a lead that got as high as double-digits in the second quarter, but a strong close to the opening half that extended well into the third ultimately gave the European champions the edge they needed to win. Evans, in spite of the defeat, was again sensational on the biggest stage—finishing with 35, 7 assists and 5 boards. Even with a large amount of the offensive burden on her shoulders in the absence of Jovana Nogić, she still delivered fantastic efficiency from three (6/12 3PT) with a number of her makes coming from well beyond the arc. Her playmaking, too, was key to her side’s early surge on offense (53 first half points) as she found open teammates despite Fener sending intermittent doubles her way.

Thursday’s EuroCup win over Montpellier probably won’t live long in Dana’s memory for her efficiency (16 p, 6/21 FG), but her efforts to get teammates in the flow of the game early effectively set the table for a fast start (21-11 first quarter) where Beşiktaş’ ball movement was crucial to their offensive success. From then on, the game was relatively balanced but Dana and company were able to add enough to their lead that they have some breathing room (14 pts) ahead of their trip to France next week. Returning to Evans’ efforts to get teammates involved, I feel this has been one of her most important areas of growth overseas this season. As the focal point of the Beşiktaş offense (or indeed the Sky’s second unit), Evans will always see quite a few shots come her way, but her ability to make sure others get touches and shot opportunities is crucial to her evolution into a WNBA starter. Making others feel involved as a point guard also has an important effect of keeping the ball moving for the entire offense as everyone knows they’re going to get it back.

Lindsay Allen & Taya Reimer (Botaş — Turkey)

Botaş won for the fourth consecutive time on Monday against Bursa—pushing them up to the #8 seed with just 5 games left in the season. Allen registered a double-double for the 5th time in her last 7—finishing with 11 points, 13 assists and 6 boards. Even on nights when her efficiency isn’t fantastic (3/12 FG), Allen is still capable of picking apart the defense and putting the team’s other scorers (in this case, Lyndra Weaver—22 p) in position to be successful. Reimer, for the second consecutive game, didn’t have much luck getting shots to fall (5/12 FG) but she still finished with 11 points, 6 rebounds and a block. Crucially, this win also leaves Botaş just one game behind Nesibe for the 7th seed. The two meet next weekend (2/24)—with both hoping to gain a vital leg up in the race to avoid facing Fener in the first round of the playoffs.

Michaela Onyenwere (Ormanspor — Turkey)

Onyenwere was all over the visitors in the first half Sunday (16 p), but a mix of foul trouble and defensive adjustments slowed her roll after half-time. With Ormanspor’s other WNBA stars—Sug Sutton (4/14) and Damiris Dantas (5/21)—both having rare off shooting nights, the foul woes for Onyenwere felt even more magnified. Coach Mert Oktay did well to manage the situation and get Onyenwere as involved as possible, but she eventually fouled out late in the fourth with 20 points and 11 boards. At that point, Cankaya had clawed within a few possessions and a series of tough misses and unfortunate turnovers by Ormanspor left them down one with seconds remaining. Even then, Sutton got a great look at the basket but both her initial shot and put-back attempt unluckily rattled out. Letting a comfortable lead slip against a bad team (14th place) is something Ormanspor won’t want to see happen again, but it’s probably safe to chalk this loss—and it’s unusual circumstances—up as a one-off.

Chennedy Carter (Bursa — Turkey)

Carter—who played with Bursa last offseason—returned to the club and made her second debut in Monday’s loss against Botaş. In many ways, it was a typical performance for the former lottery pick as she both scored (21 pts) and shot (8/17 FG) a lot. However, Carter also had a couple of really good stops on defense, was strong on the glass (9 r) and effectively pushed the tempo in transition. It’s no secret that—at past stops—Carter has been capable of doing all of those things, but it’s obviously encouraging for Spoon and the Sky’s front office to see that she’s still buying-in. After a year out of the W and a brief stint in China earlier this winter, it would be understandable if Carter’s attention-to-detail beyond scoring the ball had fallen off somewhat. Yet, after the smallest possible sample size of 1 game, it certainly seems as if Carter is still keen to be a multi-faceted contributor on court—even in adverse physical circumstances.

Sika Koné (Perfumerias Avenida — Spain)

You wouldn’t have expected Avenida to struggle with a visiting Ferrol side that came into the game at .500, but the manner in which they dispatched of their guests (51-36 halftime edge) made it easy for coach Nacho Martinez to rest players as he saw fit ahead of the EuroLeague quarterfinals. Whether for load management reasons or simply because Avenida’s starters faired so well, Sika played just 17 minutes. In her limited run, she was quiet offensively (3 p, 1 FG attempt), but she did provide her usual impact on the glass (6 r) where Ferrol looked unable to match her positioning and physical prowess.

In Game 1 of the quarters against Fenerbahçe on Wednesday, Koné was again reduced to something of a bit part—with just 9 minutes, 3 points and 3 rebounds to show for her efforts. A big part of her decreased role was the emergence of Alexis Prince who, after returning from a long-term injury on Saturday, played significant minutes (20) and delivered some much-needed multi-level scoring (22 p, 4/4 3PT). As a team, Avenida ultimately couldn’t keep up with Fener (98-91 loss) despite a brave effort and a a stellar long-range shooting night (14/26 as a team) that saw them pull as close as 3 in the final minutes. Avenida will face elimination next week on their home floor in Game 2 of the series.

Rebekah Gardner (Spar Girona — Spain)

Gardner’s shooting (13 p, 5/6 FG) was sharp, but the rest of Girona’s offense felt a little suffocated against Zaragoza’s standout defense (62.5 PPG allowed, best in EL). In the first half, Girona survived thanks to their own defense (10 points allowed), but they ran out of steam in the third (21) and were eventually blown out of the water by Zaragoza’s exceptional fourth (29). Their defending after the intermission—especially on the perimeter (63% 3PT allowed)—probably requires coach Roberto Íñiguez to do a bit of thinking, but there’s little new that can be said about their offensive performance. Girona made just 1 of the 19 threes they attempted, but—at this stage—it feels there’s limited options to correct that trend beyond waiting for the inevitable progression to the mean. When Girona did attack the basket, they stumbled into a lot of the traps Zaragoza set—often struggling to get out of them (18 turnovers).

Gardner, having drawn the start in Thursday’s EuroCup quarterfinal first leg, left the game with an injury to her right leg early in the first quarter. In her absence, Girona picked up the win and will take a 13 point aggregate lead to Turkey next week.

Update (2/23, 12:16 PM CT): Gardner’s injury is reported to be a torn achilles—meaning she would miss the remainder of the overseas campaign and all of the WNBA season.

Robyn Parks (PF Schio — Italy)

Parks and Schio certainly didn’t look on course to play for their fourth straight Coppa Italia title when they trailed by as many as 16 in the second quarter of Friday’s semifinal, but a 38-17 run (where Parks scored 16 of her 18 points) allowed them to enter the fourth with a two-point lead. From there, Schio slammed the door shut—allowing just 5 points in the final frame. As her big scoring run during the team’s surge suggests, Parks was instrumental to Schio’s comeback. Despite a slow shooting start, she ended with solid efficiency (7/14 FG, 4/9 3PT) plus her usual dose of impact on the glass (5 rebounds). Crucially, her makes were also timely. Whenever it looked like Schio’s run was petering out, Parks popped up with a key make and, unsurprisingly, she finished a game best +12 as a result.

In Sunday’s final, Parks delivered her finest game of the season and, likely, the most memorable of her career. She finished with a season-best 25 points and did so in an efficient fashion (53/44/83 splits) while also grabbing 4 rebounds and a steal. Like in Friday’s semi-final, Parks (and, in truth, the entire Schio team) hit shots at all the right moments. Every time regional rivals Venezia looked as though they might start to make a run to cut into the lead, a backbreaking shot would go down. Schio’s defense also deserves mention as they set up many of those key shots with a great defensive possession and a successful boxout (only 6 orebs allowed)—quelling Venezia’s momentum. Unsurprisingly, Parks’ game-high point total and all-around impact (+19) earned her the game’s MVP award with Schio winning the Coppa Italia for the fourth consecutive time.

Schio’s momentum was quickly stopped Wednesday in the EuroLeague when hosts Praha ran out to a lead as big as 19 early in the contest. Schio did well to find their footing in the second quarter and started to chip into the deficit, but it always looked to be an insurmountable advantage against a side that have been playing as well as anyone in Europe over the last four months (26-1 record). The second-half was less one-sided than the first quarter, but it was Praha that were back in control once again with Schio’s shooting (especially from three—4/24) simply not consistent enough to keep them in the game. After a standout game on Sunday, Parks’ stat line—unsurprisingly—was somewhat muted (10 p, 5 r) in the defeat which leaves Schio facing elimination at home next Wednesday.

Brianna Turner (Adelaide Lightning —Australia)

Despite facing a Melbourne team that are expected to be a contender for the WNBL crown, Turner and Adelaide (who entered the game second from bottom of the standings) pulled out a tight victory in Saturday’s penultimate game of the WNBL regular season. One key: the return of longtime WNBA veteran Stephanie Talbot for the Lightning. Playing just her second game of the season, she gave Adelaide an extra dose of size in their lineup—creating headaches for Melbourne and allowing the Lightning to get out in transition and build an early lead. Melbourne hung tough and pulled within a couple of possessions late, but a dagger three by Turner (her first since Nov. 29) with 40 seconds to go ensured that Adelaide held on to pick up the victory. Turner’s impact—beyond the clutch three—was felt throughout the game as she dropped a new season-high in scoring (17 pts, 7/12 FG) and clinched her 6th double-double of the season with 17 boards (her 2nd best total in ‘23-24).

Isabelle Harrison (Athletes Unlimited)

Harrison was confirmed as a captain for Week 1 of Athletes Unlimited’s third season—which starts on February 29th. She returns after finishing 6th place in the league in 2023 and 3rd in 2022 and will draft her team on February 26th.

Check back again next Friday when I’ll recap all of the coming week’s domestic action plus Game 2 of the EuroLeague quarterfinals and the decisive EuroCup quarterfinal second legs. You can find the best site to stream the different leagues live and the full schedule of games over the coming week in this article I update on a regular basis.