Chicago Sky Season in Review: Courtney Williams
One of the W’s most effervescent stars showed a whole new side to her game in 2023.
Since October, I’ve posted a weekly blog reviewing one member of the Sky’s 2023 season each Monday. Each post focuses on three positives from the player’s season and one thing I’d like to see more of from them next year. Think of it like a (highly positive) end of season report card. You can view all past reviews here.
After an all-star season in 2021 and a WNBA Finals appearance in 2022, Courtney Williams signed for the Sky in early-February as part of the team’s efforts to re-load. Ten days later, the Sky traded for Marina Mabrey and the positional waters were suddenly very muddied. Despite 7 years in the W and an impressive resume, playing the point was something Williams had never done for an extended period of time. And yet, the feeling by the end of the season was that the Sky’s pick-and-roll heavy offense wouldn’t look quite the same without Courtney at the controls. Let’s take a look at the aspects of Williams’ season that made such a challenging evolution so seamless:
1.Mid-Range Scoring
Courtney’s ability to score in the mid-range is no great secret and has been one of the traits that endeared her to front offices for some time. What was new was the way her unique skillset in this area allowed her to flourish as the primary ball handler in Emre’s offense. With James Wade at the helm, we were already seeing Williams evolve as a point guard from a decision making perspective, but Emre’s offense allowed Williams to combine those new skills with the ones that had helped her make a name in the W. Individually, Williams shot 45% post coaching change as compared to 38% when Wade was in charge. A lot goes into those numbers (some of which is purely coincidence), but I tend to think a scorer who so easily generates rhythm and so quickly gets in her shooting motion benefits exponentially from regularly coming off of screens with a short window to shoot uncontested.
For the Sky, the relationship was mutually benificial. Because of his roots in the European game, Emre may have gone heavily to the pick-and-roll regardless of the personnel. However, without a ball-handler that could hit so consistently from the mid-range, the outcomes of pick-and-roll sets are narrowed considerably. Consequentially, the entire offense functions differently, and the expected result is more nights where the Sky stagnate and struggle to score the ball. Instead, the Sky benefitted massively from having Courtney handle the ball — knowing the option to shoot right off of the screen was always (at worst) a high-percentage fall back. That option also discouraged teams from using the increasingly popular drop coverage (where the screener’s defender fades to the rim) and — generally — created a game-planning headache for opposing coaches.
The variability of Williams’ shots was also key to this. Even when her body was in an adverse position off of the screen, Courtney demonstrated an ability to hit floaters, scoop shots and various other looks before the defense had a chance to react. Paired with her other-worldly ball handling, this skillset was also useful if (for whatever reason) a team decided to switch defensively as Williams’ soft touch and diverse finishing package generates shots with a lot of height — reducing the chance of a blocked shot.
2. Floor General
A lot of the benefit of the pick-and-roll is baked into what I said above about Williams as a scorer, but she also displayed fantastic playmaking skills at the point guard position. From a strictly statistical perspective, Williams finished fourth in the league in assists per game (behind only the primary ball handlers for the league’s 3 best teams [AT, Sloot, Gray]) with her 251 assists nearly eclipsing the total (257) of her previous two best seasons combined. Some of this may seem inherent given the positional switch, but a transition in roles like the one Williams took on is not easy considering the team’s new roster and mid-season coaching change.
Williams was known as a cerebral player before this season, but the court vision she demonstrated went well above and beyond the expectations most (myself included) had in the preseason. Once Williams spotted a pass, she showed that her bag as a passer was as deep and well-rounded as her ball-handling one. Her skills as a bounce passer impressed me most — with this being particularly useful in the P&R. Regardless of changing defensive coverages, Williams showed a comprehensive ability to fit the ball through whatever window was open to ensure Elizabeth got a quality look. To round off her status as floor general, Courtney supported her on-court play by living up to her reputation as a vocal, emotional and constantly positive leader.
3. Rebounding
The Sky were amongst the worst rebounding teams in the league even with their point guard finishing 17th in total rebounds — meaning they almost certainly would’ve been far and away the league’s worst team in this area if not for Courtney. Williams is comfortably the league’s best rebounder under six-foot and her unique knack for reading the ball off the rim sets her apart from everyone — including the bigs that surround her on the list of rebounding leaders. The face value of closing a defensive possession with a board is apparent, but the impact of Williams being the player to grab those boards was notable for the Sky’s transition game.
In transition, the previous points about Courtney’s playmaking and scoring ability come in to play as she can organize, distribute or score with a mid-range pull-up or a lay in at the basket. And when Courtney starts that process by claiming the rebound, there’s no need to stop and look for someone else to do all those things. Consequently, the entire process happens much quicker, and the probability of the Sky getting a high-percentage look in transition is increased drastically. The Sky’s leaders — Kah in particular — frequently pointed to the team’s success when they got the ball moving in transition and punished opponents after misses. All of the Sky’s rebounds opened a window for them to push, but I’d have to think that Courtney’s produced some of the highest quality opportunities on the break.
What I’m Looking for From Courtney Next Season:
At this point in Williams’ career, I’m tempted to say we know what her game is. But then, her play in 2023 expanded well beyond her pre-existing reputation which was largely as a microwave scorer with great defensive upside and the aforementioned skill on the glass. Last year showed us a complete two-way player who did basically everything at the offensive end and played some of the most consistent defense of her career. As a reminder, Williams finished 4th in total assists, 17th in total rebounds and 3rd in three-point percentage (amongst qualifiers) last season. When you consider all that, the prospect of signing Courtney to provide premier scoring in any role and also quarterback your second unit (if you’re a stacked team like LV or NY) is more than a little tantalizing.
From my perspective, the only ‘enhancement’ Williams can make to her game is to continue gaining experience at her new position. Because of her high basketball IQ, all Courtney really needs to do is get another season of reps, and I would expect to see the refinement of those point guard specific skills continue to happen seamlessly. The more that happens, the higher Courtney’s price on the free agency market will become whenever the deal she signs this offseason runs out. In the meantime, I do worry that her strong play in 2023 might result in Williams getting a better offer somewhere else this winter, but the organization should think twice about moving on from Williams given the adaptability she showed last year.
Professionally, Williams demonstrated the skillset to continue as the Sky’s starting point guard next season but also has plenty of potential to help the team in other roles if needed. Ideologically, it’s also pretty apparent that Courtney’s approach to life and basketball aligns with the one Spoon and Kah are aiming to build the franchise around. Personally, Courtney quickly became a fan favorite and remains interested in returning to the Sky per Annie Costabile. Yet, the complexity of WNBA free agency compounded by a new coach and GM arriving means the future remains uncertain. No matter where Williams plays in 2024, her 2023 production and versatility suggest she’ll be amongst the league’s most impactful (and, likely, underrated) players once again.