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WNBA Season Preview 2019: Chicago Sky look to get back to the postseason

By Jasmyn Wimbish

CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: The Chicago Sky huddle up during the game against the Indiana Fever on May 14, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHICAGO, IL - MAY 14: The Chicago Sky huddle up during the game against the Indiana Fever on May 14, 2019 at the Wintrust Arena in Chicago, Illinois. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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New leadership at the top and key additions prove intriguing in our preview of the Chicago Sky for the upcoming 2019 WNBA season.

After consecutive seasons of missing the playoffs, the Chicago Sky parted ways with head coach Amber Stocks and hired James Wade to double as coach and general manager. The Sky followed that up by re-signing last season’s leading scorer and 2018 All-Star, Allie Quigley and picking up a remarkable crop of talent in the draft with Katie Lou Samuelson and Chloe Jackson as well as international talent Maria Conde.

It completed a very offensive minded offseason for the Sky, which, for a team that ranked dead last in defensive rating and 10th in rebounding percentage, doesn’t instill a ton of faith on the defensive side of the ball.

Nevertheless, the Sky have a lot to be excited about heading into the 2019 season. That starts with the three-headed monster of Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot and Diamond DeShields all of whom shot the ball from the field and 3-point range at an efficient clip.

Vandersloot is coming off a career season, averaging a career high in points (12.5), assists (8.6) and 3-point percentage (39.8 percent), and Quigley, the reigning WNBA All-Star Three-Point Contest winner, ranked seventh in the league in 3-point percentage, shooting the deep ball at a 42 percent clip. The playmaking ability of Vandersloot matched with the sharpshooting touch of Quigley make for a tenacious veteran duo on a relatively young team.

Then there’s Diamond DeShields. The 2018 No. 3 overall pick, who made the All-Rookie Team last year, had a standout rookie season averaging 14 points and four rebounds and going for 20 or more points nine times. That included an impressive three-game tear to close the season where she averaged 26 points.

If it wasn’t for Las Vegas Aces A’ja Wilson having a phenomenal rookie year, DeShields would’ve no doubt taken home the hardware, ranking second among rookies in points and rebounds a season ago.

The problem the Sky ran into last season was starting out of the gates incredibly slow, going 3-9 to start. Chicago was only able to string together three consecutive wins once in the season, suffering from a porous defense that surrendered 90 points a game, the highest in the league.

Without answering the need for a strong defensive presence in the offseason, the Sky will rely on their space and pace offense that worked effectively in stretches last year to guide them to wins this season. That fast-paced offense that Coach Wade preaches will only get boosted with Samuelson and Jackson in the rotation.

Samuelson, the Sky’s No. 4 overall pick in this year’s draft, has only known winning in her four years under Geno Auriemma at UConn. She won a national championship her freshman year and helped lead the team to three-straight Final Four appearances the following years.

In her senior season at UConn Samuelson averaged 16 points on nearly 50 percent from the field and should fit in nicely with the already ridiculous amount of shooters the Sky have. Her ability to stretch the floor will give Coach Wade another tool in his arsenal to move around in the lineup, and although she’ll have some stiff competition in a deep draft class, keep an eye out for Samuelson who could be poised for a breakout rookie year.

Jackson, the reigning Baylor national champion, will be a nice rotation piece for the Sky coming off the bench, scoring nine and eight points in the Sky’s two preseason games this season. Jackson has been known to shine in big moments, hitting the game-winner in the 2019 national championship game that propelled Baylor over Notre Dame. While she isn’t the headliner of the Sky’s draft picks, Jackson will prove to be a solid pickup for Chicago.

Offense won’t be a problem whatsoever for this team, it’s getting stops and making sure they aren’t getting out-rebounded by a significant margin on the glass. That’s where defensive anchor Stefanie Dolson comes into play.

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After having an All-Star season in her first year with the Sky since being traded by the Washington Mystics in 2017, Dolson’s numbers dipped significantly last year on offense while seeing a decrease in rebounding as well. Chicago needs Dolson to be aggressive on the glass to improve their rebounding numbers on both ends of the floor.

The Sky may not have Elena Delle Donne anymore, but with a team effort from a collection of versatile players, their short drought of missing the postseason should end as soon as this year.