Before the first second of the WNBA season has even started, the
Chicago Sky are already collecting material to pin up in their locker room. Preseason power rankings are always a guessing game. But players and coaches read them all the same — and for the Sky, the apparent consensus of the offseason didn’t sit well. Advertisement
ESPN placed the Sky 10th among the league’s 12 teams. So did Winsidr. Just Women’s Sports had them last. Fanduel gives the Sky +4,500 odds — tied for seventh in the league — to win the championship. Sky players were in agreement Wednesday at the team’s media day: Those rankings won’t stand for long. Advertisement “It’s comical,” guard Courtney Williams said. “They don’t know
basketball,” guard Marina Mabrey added. “I don’t know what else to tell you.” Veteran guard Kahleah Copper wants it to be clear — the Sky don’t need any extra fuel to drive them this season. [ [Don't miss] There’s no offseason in James Wade’s world — and that’s just how the Chicago Sky coach and general manager likes it ] This is a hungry team packed with players who have been laboring behind superstars or grinding on unsuccessful teams for the majority of their careers. Copper is eager to ascend to her role as team cornerstone after six seasons of building behind departed stars such as Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot . And while this Sky team is decidedly younger than last year’s — which had an average age of 31.4 in the starting lineup — the roster is still anchored by veterans such as Copper, Mabrey and Williams who understand what it takes to win in the WNBA. But for a team eager to embrace the chip on its shoulder, a little outside doubt only helps. Chicago Sky players Courtney Williams, from left, Marina Mabrey and Kahleah Copper take pictures on media day on Wednesday, May 10, 2023, in Deerfield. (Brian Cassella / Chicago Tribune) “I’m definitely the type of person to hang it up so you see it every day,” Copper said. “I’m not the type of person that needs to relight the
fire because the fire’s always lit. That’s just something that ignites me. It’s good for me. I like it.” Until opening day, the Sky remain an unknown quantity in the WNBA landscape. Copper is the only returning starter from the 2022 team that set a franchise record with 26 wins. Advertisement Ruthy Hebard, Rebekah Gardner and Dana Evans are the only other available players returning from last year’s team. Li Yueru also returned but is recovering from a knee injury after playing minimal minutes last season, and Anneli Maley was signed to the training camp roster after being signed and waived three times last year. [ [Don't miss] Ruthy Hebard embraces motherhood with support from Chicago Sky: ‘The most important thing is that she’s Xzavier’s mom first’ ] With only two weeks of training camp before the season opener May 19 in Minnesota, the new additions are still molding themselves into coach James Wade’s vision for this year’s team. Mabrey has yet to practice with her new teammates after returning to the
United States on Thursday fresh off a championship with Schio in
Italy. Hebard’s unknown return from childbirth and Elizabeth Williams’ current status in concussion protocol create questions in the frontcourt. Wade has yet to waive any players signed for training camp ahead of next Wednesday’s final roster deadline. The Sky have made it clear how they hope to play this season — using high-octane defensive pressure to fuel a run-and-gun offense, overwhelming opponents with speed with a mobile frontcourt and an onslaught of guards. But that style will have to be forged in real time in the opening weeks of the season. As the new roster melds together, Wade believes outside criticism will only help his team find its identity quicker. “We’re motivated and we have that dog in us and we want to cause some chaos,” Wade said. “The noise is going to make us stronger and make us a more cohesive unit, and we have to lean on the strengths that we have. Advertisement “They have some beautiful names in the other locker rooms, but at the end of the day, you have to see us on the floor.”