Quick Three: Sky 83 Sparks 73
Chicago responds to Tuesday's disappointing loss with a two-way performance where several key players stood out.
Given the preseason expectations for the Sky to be a young, growing team, a two game losing streak against the Sun and Storm was never a reason to panic. But if anyone was panicking, Thursday’s win over the Sparks—where the Sky were dominant at both ends for long stretches of the game—should serve to quickly quiet their concerns. And in the end, it wasn’t just that the Sky responded with a win, but that they responded with a performance which addressed a few of the key areas of disappointment from the previous two losses (Tuesday’s game in particular). Let’s dive into the who and what of the Sky’s standout home win over Los Angeles.
1. Elizabeth Williams Inspires Defense + Stabilizes Offense
In a game where several players—especially fellow 2023 returnees Dana Evans and Marina Mabrey—stood out, it was Williams who was once again the Sky’s most decisive player. It’s not the first time that’s been the case this season, but some of Williams’ previous standout showings have faded into the background of others’ performances (as was often the case last year). Tonight, however, it’s simply impossible to look past the impact Williams provided. Her ability to anticipate plays at the defensive end—especially in the first half—completely changed the complexion of the game and inspired a 29-14 run that stretched across the first two quarters and, in the end, wound up deciding the game. So often, when that word “anticipation” is used to describe Williams’ game, it’s about her ability to arrive in the right spots to block shots, but tonight it was actually her steals and deflections before a shot could even be taken that felt the most impactful (granted she still registered 4 blocks). Her interceptions started the Sky’s fast breaks, and that energy at the defensive end seemed to permeate throughout the team as they built up a collective head of steam at the defensive end in the first half.
Then, when the Sparks recovered after halftime and started to make a game out of things, Williams pitched in with a series of stabilizing scores that stopped LA from ever fully climbing back in the game. Her 17 points was a season-high and she did so with just nine field goal attempts, but the aforementioned timeliness of those scores made the 17 feel even more impactful for the Sky to weather the Sparks’ second-half run. For the most part, the Sky—despite their youth—looked like a very veteran team tonight, but, in the stretches where Chicago did start to lose their way, Williams stepped into her role as the team’s veteran in just the way that was needed at both ends of the court. And while the Sky got great play from Evans and Mabrey, it’s very possible the backcourt’s strong game would’ve gone to waste if not for Williams serving as the spark plug for the fast start and the glue that held things together late.
2. Dana Evans Lands Biggest Punches in Knockout 2Q
Williams may have sparked (no pun intended) the team’s defensive energy, but the flat out pace Evans injected into the game at both ends during that 29-14 run was key to driving home the Sky’s advantage. For all of Williams’ brilliance, she would struggle to make a defensive play at one end and somehow still be the player out in front of the opposition in transition—something Evans managed to do twice in a 52 second span in the second quarter. With her off to the defensive races early on her way to a career-high 5 steals, the strong offensive play soon followed suit. Evans showed a lot more intentionality when it came to scoring in the half-court—repeatedly attacking the paint as she does when she’s at her best overseas. The result was 15 points on a team-high 16 shot attempts which was highlighted by her solid efficiency from inside the arc (7/14 FG). In particular, one play where Evans tiptoed through the lane to evade Cameron Brink and forced the rookie to chase her back out of the paint exemplified the rhythm she was able to establish tonight.
And therein lies the allure of Dana Evans as the Sky’s point guard of the future. The common criticism I hear of her as a player is that she lacks consistency, but that’s not the case if you’re looking at her game from a holistic perspective. A big part of the value she provides in the W is her defensive energy, and there’s never a lack of consistency when it comes to her output at that end. That said, the facets of the game where inconsistency can creep in are usually offensive—especially her jump shot. When her first thought is to attack the paint, Evans becomes a lot more consistent offensive player, and there was a definite step in the right direction in that respect tonight. If she finds this offensive groove on a more regular basis (while sprinkling in valuable and much needed playmaking), it raises the Sky’s offensive floor considerably. And in the eyes of her critics, it should also serve to increase that consistency and bridge the gap to her being the Sky’s long-term starter.
3. Mabrey, Weatherspoon & Sky Address Seattle Shortfalls
As mentioned above, the standout element of tonight wasn't the win, but how Chicago went about claiming it. There were three specific areas where I saw a direct adjustment between Tuesday’s disappointing performance and tonight.
Marina Mabrey (20 points, 7 assists) was more consistently involved. In spite of some more flirtation with foul trouble, she hit six threes and got the ball in several different situations (post-up, off multiple screens on ball, etc.)—helping her to attack the defense for the benefit of her and others. To their credit, the coaching staff continues to put her in positions to be successful.
Teresa Weatherspoon kept Mabrey on the court after she picked up her third foul. Beyond Mabrey being on the court, the rotations in this game were pretty similar to the ones on Tuesday, but her presence alone made all the difference in the third. When the Sparks got hot, Mabrey hit a couple of huge threes that kept the Sky ahead. When she eventually did pick up her fourth, Weatherspoon made sure that Williams was subbed in as Mabrey came out, and Williams had a key and-one shortly after. Angel Reese was also wisely trusted by Weatherspoon for a long stretch in the fourth with five fouls.
The Sky’s offensive execution—especially in the first quarter—was hugely improved. Out of the gates, the Sky looked very intentional and had a lot of variety in their play calling. After that big first half run (which was mainly fueled by transition buckets), the Sky struggled to settle back into such a nice rhythm again, but the game as a whole was a step in the right direction with a chance to keep improving on the consistency of execution over the course of the season.