Chicago Sky Season in Review: Ruthy Hebard
Continuing through December 18th, I’ll have a weekly post reviewing one member of the Sky’s 2023 season each Monday. Each post focuses on…
Continuing through December 18th, I’ll have a weekly post 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 past reviews here.
1) Impactful Scoring
In the games where she achieved her highest scoring totals, it always felt like Hebard would collect her points in quick bursts. A quick review of the game logs confirms that, on her best scoring nights, Hebard seems to have a knack for getting a couple of baskets in relatively quick succession. To show just how important this can be, take a look at the Sky’s playoff clinching win over Minnesota on September 8th. Hebard entered the game with 1:48 left in the first and the Sky down 19–10. In the next four minutes and change of game time, Hebard hit two of three shots, made a couple of free throws, and helped the Sky hold down the Lynx defensively. Her six points (along with four from guess who — Dana) propelled the Sky back into the fight at a critical juncture. Later, with the Sky ahead just 5 early in the 4th, she scored 4 more (plus three rebounds and a block) in a four minute-stretch that saw the Sky grow the lead to an insurmountable 12.
One game sample sizes don’t tell the story of a player’s season, but Hebard’s judgement and precision when shooting the basketball this season was ever present. She has a naturally soft touch on her shot which is perfect for a big that likes to take KG-esque mid range jumpers, and that’s reflected in her shooting percentage (just shy of 59%). From a shot selection perspective, Hebard also demonstrates great judgement. A lot is made of players ‘getting to their spots,’ and Hebard frequently shows she’s one of the best on the Sky roster at finding the areas where she’s comfortable. Missing three or more field goals just once (2–5 on 8/24) throughout an entire season tells you that a player (regardless of volume) is measuring the situation well before deciding to pull the trigger.
2) Pick & Roll Capabilities
What I (and I would assume Emre) really liked about Ruthy as a bench piece this season was her ability to replicate what the starter in her role was doing. She’s not the defensive anchor Elizabeth is, but Ruthy offered a lot of the same traits offensively — especially in pick and roll situations. She’s a great screener because of her physical attributes (see #3 below), has the mid-range ability to execute a variation of a pick-and-pop (side note — could she shoot some 3s next year?) and she made good decisions as a passer when the path to the rim was not open. Obviously, a big with that blend of skills is valuable to any team for pick-and-roll actions, but it’s more valuable when you have a lead guard like Dana who’s going to play with both the first and the second units.
Variation in styles from your bench has its benefits, but it’s challenging for a sixth-woman like Dana if she’s running with the starters and has a great big for the pick-and-roll and then operates with a completely different play style when leading the second unit. Because of Ruthy, Dana was able to replicate the methodical style she played with Elizabeth and the starters when she was on the floor with the bench unit. Those stylistic similarities also opened the door for Hebard to fill the void left if Elizabeth was in foul trouble or just needed a breather. In Spoon’s system next season, the Sky may be less dependent on the pick-and-roll — meaning this won’t be as much of an asset. However, I still see value in having a fundamentally sound big to build your second unit offense around — especially if the shooters on the bench have an off-night and you need to run some basic concepts to get some good looks.
3) Physical Level
I (obviously) don’t claim to know anything about the process of recovering your fitness after giving birth. What I can do, however, is apply the logic of athletes in numerous other sports who — after an injury — miss part or all of training camp (never mind their personal offseason conditioning) and are physically affected for large stretches of the season that follows. There was obviously a short ramp up period (~5 mins per in her first three games after returning) but Hebard almost instantly returned to the rotation once she was able to re-join the team. Only Hebard (and probably Ann Crosby) know what really went into the recovery process, but the level she returned at was nothing short of spectacular. Without a proper preseason, you would’ve expected Hebard to look behind the pace of the game (or at least tired) at some points, but we never really saw that this season.
That speaks, first and foremost, to her professionalism throughout the recovery process. Again, I can’t speak to being a mother, but I imagine there’s a part of you that just wants to focus on the child — inadvertently causing you to lose contact with your profession. To take the time away from that aspect of your life, get in the gym, and reach a physical level where you can almost instantly return to rotational minutes at the highest level is an insane achievement. Of course, there’s also an argument that Ruthy — because of the abbreviated ramp up — didn’t even reach her physical peak this season. If so, that bodes really well (and also guides me nicely into my last section) for what she can accomplish next season after spending the full winter working out with the TCU women’s team.
What I’m Looking for From Hebard Next Season: Be a Bully in the Paint
From the outside, Ruthy seems like a kind, easy-going person and an aggressive playstyle doesn’t necessarily align with that. But when you see the physical strength and stamina that Hebard has (again — without a proper training camp), there’s a lot of potential there. The tape from this season shows a player who can move others with ease and can’t be moved in the same way defensively. One look at Jonquel Jones’ postseason highlights shows you that (even if it rubbed some people the wrong way) there’s great value in a big who can put the other team on their heels by dropping the shoulder and using their strength as a weapon.
Hebard, obviously, hasn’t displayed the full range of skill as a scorer that Jones has, but she has the aforementioned soft touch that’s perfect for finishing around the bucket. If the Sky (especially the guards from those pick and roll actions) can get the ball to Hebard in the paint, I see no reason she can’t back someone down a couple of times a game. Throw in a couple of smart makes from the mid-range and suddenly Hebard has a straightforward path to being a more consistent source of offense. The Sky don’t need Hebard to be a 15 PPG scorer, and she likely won’t see the volume to score like that anyways. However, the more 8 to 10 point games she has next season; the more dangerous the Sky second unit will be.
