The WNBA returns to action Thursday following the Olympic break and it’s a five-week sprint to the playoffs.
For the Sky — a 10-14 team with a narrow grip on the eighth and final playoff spot — there will be little room for error in their 16 remaining games. However, with a shakeup to their backcourt following Marina Mabrey’s trade request the Sky’s expectations and their reality may end up at odds.
Mabrey was the Sky’s only consistent three-point threat in their first 24 games of the season. Replacing her in the starting five will come down to guard Rachel Banham, forward Michaela Onyenwere and guard Dana Evans.
“We’re going to take our time with that,” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “This is basically a two-week camp with us having an opportunity to evaluate in the right way. Then having that position filled.”
Through the Sky’s first week of their second iteration of training camp, Onyenwere has had the most reps with the starting five during the portion of practice open to the media. Evans was also utilized, replacing Onyenwere and Carter at various times during practice.
Ahead of the Sky’s 93-85 win over the Aces on July 16, Evans expressed discontent over her declining minutes, telling the Sun-Times she wasn’t sure the coaching staff saw her as a player who could take her game to the next level in Chicago. According to multiple league sources Evans name came up in multiple trade scenarios, but those discussions have since cooled.
With Mabrey in Connecticut, the likelihood of Evans being traded before the Aug. 20 deadline has declined dramatically. However, the question of how Weatherspoon will utilize Evans remains. After she was demoted, Evans played fewer than 10 minutes in five of the 11 games in which she came off the bench.
Trading Mabrey only crowded the Sky’s backcourt further, with the addition of Banham and guard Moriah Jefferson. However, Jefferson is working her way back from a right ankle injury. She said she expects to be ready to play by Aug. 15, however she hasn’t been cleared for contact yet.
The roles that are solidified belong to guards Lindsay Allen and Chennedy Carter and the Sky’s frontcourt rookie tandem, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
“She keeps us poised,” Reese said of Allen. “She’s just like our head coach that’s on the court. Being able to have her consistency as a leader is important.”
The first five games back will expose if the Sky’s slightly retooled roster is capable of maintaining the playoff position they were able to stake claim over through their first 24 games. They’ll face the Mercury twice, the Sparks, Aces and Sun all within the first 10 days back.
This time of the season is when the top tier begins to separate themselves and the bottom rung closes the gap in the playoff race. Right now the Sky are three games ahead of the Dream and four ahead of the Sparks, Mystics and Wings. Working to the Sky’s advantage is the fact that all four teams below them in the standings have a tougher remaining strength of schedule.
“As a team our goal is just continuing to be consistent and start where we left off,” Reese said. “We had a good [finish] coming out of Vegas. I think rebounding obviously is something that we’ve set the tone for playing hard.”
The Sky currently lead the league in rebounds per game, averaging 36.8.
Their team defense has been what they’ve hung their hats on this season. They average the third most steals in the league, contributing to them being the third best team in the league in fastbreak points.
Their offense in the halfcourt, however, remains a work in progress. The Sky’s backcourt have struggled with entry passes to Reese and Cardoso all season long. Compouding that issue is the fact that the Sky’s rookies are still learning to finish through contact.
Both Cardoso and Reese said they spent time working on their finishing at the rim.
“The first half was decent,” Cardoso said. “But honestly now that’s in the past. I’m more focused on finishing, being stronger, more aggressive, getting more rebounds and just being out there with my teammates and doing whatever it takes to win.”