diamond DeShields

Chicago Sky Overseas Report

Basketball never stops. This is especially true for WNBA players who often play in overseas leagues during the off-season. This year the Chicago Sky have nine out of a possible eleven players playing overseas. The only two players staying home are veterans Candace Parker and Stefanie Dolson. Here is every Chicago Sky player playing overseas, what team they’re playing for, and what goals/hopes sky town should be looking forward to due to their involvement overseas.

Lexie Brown | Charnay Basket

Lexie Brown is playing for Charnay Basket in France. The team is currently in eleventh place, so there really aren’t any aspirations for hardware. This is a team where Brown can get a lot of play and work on her game. This is great for her because she didn’t play much with the Sky this season.

Kahleah Copper | Perfumeria Avenida

KFC had a phenomenal season. She’s now taking her talents to Spain and is playing with Perfumeria Avenida. They are currently in first place in their league, and Copper just had a spectacular performance in EuroLeague Women. She had 36 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in Avenida’s narrow defeat against the absolutely stacked UMCC. Kahleah Copper has improved by leaps and bounds the last two seasons, and it’s hard to imagine she has many more ways she can improve. So far, these EuroLeague performances just reaffirm what all of Skytown already knows. Kahleah Copper is a bucket!

Diamond DeShields | Famila Wuber Schio

With Diamond having a disappointing 2021 season, I think some productive minutes at a top European team would do her good. She’ll be able to do just that, Famila Wuber Schio in Italy. The team is top of the Italian league, and she’s currently averaging 23 minutes per game.

Dana Evans | KSC Szekszard

The rookie is in Hungary playing for KSC Szekszard. Since she didn’t get to play much on a championship team in her first year, getting reps in Europe could speed up her development and put her in a better position to contribute to the Sky in 2022.

Ruthy Hebard | Ragusa

Ruthy Hebard had an odd regular season with the Sky. I thought she looked good during the first third of the season, then she fell out of the rotation and never returned to her early season form. Hopefully, some time away from the W and in a different environment does Hebard well. She has the talent and is still very young, so the Sky is the limit. Let’s see if she starts to reach for it in Italy.

Astou Ndour-Fall | Umana Reyer Venezia

The savvy veteran is playing in Italy after a productive sixth season in the WNBA. Umana is playing in EuroLeague Women and just beat Dana Evans’ KSC Szekszard 65- 51. Astou scored 16 points in her 26 minutes of play. Great to see her being productive and contributing to winning basketball in the toughest competition in Europe.

Allie Quigley | UMCC Ekaterinburg

Quigley is who she is. A Chicago Sky legend, WNBA Champion, and one of the best shooters to ever play the game. So what’s she doing playing in Russia? Well, she’s playing with one of the greatest teams ever assembled, competing at a high level, and the pay is pretty good too. Her wife Courtney Vandersloot is also on the team, so I’m sure that helps. For UMCC, Quigley is just as great as she is for Chicago. The team is undefeated, averaging 15 points, 4.3 assists, and 3.5 rebounds per game in EuroLeague. As long as she stays healthy, Quigley will continue to be her legendary self in 2022.

Azura Stevens | Nika Basket

Stevens will be spending the off-season in Russia playing for Nika Basket. The team is competing in EuroCup Women, the competition just below EuroLeague Women, so this is an excellent opportunity for Stevens to get some great reps under respectable competition. Stevens had a solid season with the Sky so, a good stint with Nika Basket could put her in a good position to take another step forward next year in the W.

Courtney Vandersloot | UMCC Ekaterinburg

Last but certainly not least is Courtney Vandersloot. The point god is running the point for UMCC, and I’m sure she’ll dominate whenever she makes her UMCC debut this season. Not much for Chicago Sky fans to look for with Vandersloot’s play overseas. You know how good she is, and you know she’s not going to have a drop-off, just months after her first championship. Like her wife Quigley, as long as Vandersloot is healthy going into the new year, her overseas time will be a success.

Chicago is one win away from history

The Chicago Sky dominantly defeated the Phoenix Mercury 86 to 50 in Game 3 of the WNBA Finals. It was the biggest victory in WNBA Finals history. The game was essentially over midway through the second quarter when the Sky’s point total doubled the Mercury’s.

A dominant win

Photo by Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images

This was the most complete game played by Chicago all season. They dominated from start to finish and never looked back. Chicago outperformed Phoenix in virtually every statistical category. They had a better field goal percentage, three-point percentage and won the rebounding battle against Phoenix. Even turnovers which are usually Chicago’s Achilles heel was reduced to 13. Kahleah Copper continued her Finals MVP caliber production with 22 points in her 24 minutes of play. Diamond DeShields finally had a big game scoring 11 points off the bench. Parker continued to be the leader captain scoring 13 points, shooting 50% from the field. The Sky never left their foot off the gas even when the bench was cleared; the Sky continued to extend their lead. The game concluded with the Sky up by 36, their biggest lead of the entire game.

What’s next?

There are no negatives from Chicago tonight. They took care of business and now have a commanding 2-1 lead. If Chicago plays even close to the level they reached on Friday, they should win their first championship on Sunday. Despite the victory doing so will be easier said than done. Phoenix has already been in three elimination games during this playoff run and has come out victorious every time. Brittney Griner was still a problem even today as she had 16 points in the loss.

Game 4 will take place in Chicago at Wintrust Arena in what is sure to be a sold-out crowd. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN at 2 p.m. CT.

Sky lose to the Wings

The Sky lost a back and forth game against the Wings 100-91 on Friday night. Candace Parker led the team with 22 points in 32 minutes, but it wasn’t enough against a Dallas team that had six players scoring in double digits.

Back and forth match

Photo Credit: Photo by Cooper Neill/NBAE via Getty Images

This game was as back and forth as it gets. Every other quarter a different team won the quarter. On a few occasions it looked like the Sky were going to pull away, but the Wings were a resilient team and responded each time. During the 4 min mark in the third things got really chippy with Arike Ogunbowale and Candace Parker and the Sky closed the lead while Arike got a tech and a couple other calls went against her team. The Wings didn’t get fazed and ended the quarter up 72-70.

With 3 minutes left in the forth the Sky looked ready to take over. Diamond hit a three, Parker got hit with an invisible elbow, and Dallas was complaining about calls and seemed visibly distracted. Looks can be deceiving. They maintained their cool and pulled away for good with a minute left in the game. They ended the game with 100 points and hit the .500 mark for the season.

Missed opportunities

This was a disappointing loss. The Sky were unable to pull away and if you’re a great championship caliber team, these are the kind of games you win. You get a couple calls to go your way, hit some shots, and step on your opponents throat. The Sky couldn’t do that. Dallas responded each time with a key basket or an offensive rebound to extend a possession. The rebounding battle was close (27-26 Sky advantage), but it didn’t feel like that during the game. It seemed like when the Wings needed a board, they got it. When it was a 50/50 ball, they got it. That needs to be improved on if the goal is to win a championship.

On to the next one

The Sky played good enough to win, but the Wings just played a bit better. Parker was amazing scoring 22 points on 9 for 14 shooting, Quigley contributed 10 points off the bench and Diamond DeShields had a great game scoring 16 points. This is one that got away, but it’s on to the next one. The Sky have one more game before the Olympic break. They play the Mystics on Saturday July 10 and a Sky win would guarantee the teams stays above .500

Chicago Sky beat the Fever and snap 7 game losing streak

The Chicago Sky got a much needed win on Wednesday night beating the Indian Fever 92-76. This victory snapped their seven game losing streak.

A much needed win

With all the losing, all the trades and waives, and the injury big hitting the Sky so hard early in the season, this was a much needed win. They are finally close to full health and just having everyone healthy and playing a struggling Indiana Fever was exactly what the Sky needed to get back and track.

The Point God Leads The Way

Credit:2021 NBAE (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Chicago Sky dominated to start the game. They ended the first quarter up 25-12 and never let the Fever get back into the game in any significant way. The team was lead by a stellar performance by Courtney Vandersloot. She had 17 points and 9 rebounds in her 28 minutes of play.

One person who didn’t shine was Candace Parker. This game was her return from injury and she played 18 minutes, but she didn’t play well shooting 1/9 from the field. Obviously that’s understandable given her injury and duration away from the game, but it was still a poor performance. I expect her to be back to her normal self soon once she gets a couple of games under her legs.

Injury scare

Late during Wednesday’s game Diamond DeShields had an injury scare. She had a collision with the Fever’s Kelsey Mitchell and was walking gingerly afterwards. The injury doesn’t look too serious, but with this team having so many injury woes it’s something to keep an eye on. Hopefully, she’s completely fine and will be ready to play on Saturday.

Rematch This Saturday

This Saturday the Fever will have a chance to avenge their loss by playing the Sky again in an early afternoon game. The Sky are now 3-7 and will be looking to start a winning streak. The game will begin at 12pm CT at Indiana Farmers Coliseum.

News Round-Up

The Chicago Sky season is well underway. Last week gave the Sky some wins, some losses, and some injuries. Let’s break down the week that was and the week to come.

Win some lose some

The Sky beat the Atlanta Dream pretty easily Wednesday night 85-77. You can read the recap of that game here. The team played well despite missing Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Stefanie Dolson, and Azurá Stevens. They won largely due to Kahleah Copper’s 23 point game and Ruthy Hebard’s double double.

The Sky didn’t have the same luck versus the Liberty on Sunday. They lost 93-85 and were unable to keep up with the New York Liberty’s offense as they pulled away in the fourth quarter. The game was close and Ruthy Hebard got another double double along with four blocks. Vandersloot was her usually point god self with 16 assists and 14 points in the loss. It was also nice to see Azurá Stevens make her return to the team as she’s missed a couple of games already. She contributed 6 points and 5 rebounds in 13 minutes of play.

Injury Woes

Photo Credit: John J. Kim/Chicago Tribune

The injury report was long last week and looks like it will continue to be long this week. Candace Parker will be out a bit longer, she posted an awful picture of a very swollen ankle with a heartfelt message on her disappointment in being unable to play in the home opener.

Allie Quigley has been out all week with a hamstring issue and Stefanie Dolson has been unavailable not due to injury, but due to Team USA obligations. The only good news on the Chicago Sky injuries is that Azurá Stevens has returned. She played against the Dream and looked healthy.

The kids can play

The Chicago Sky are a team with championship aspirations, but they do have some young players playing significant minutes. Ruthy Hebard has taken a huge step forward. She’s started the last two games and got double doubles in both games. Shyla Heal made her WNBA debut on Sunday and played five minutes. She wasn’t fantastic, but it was good to see her play for the first time in the WNBA.

Games this week

The Sky have another three games left in the month of May. The dates and times can be found below.

Sky vs Dream Tuesday 7PM CT

Sky vs Sparks Friday 7pm CT

Sky vs Sparks Sunday 5pm CT

Sky lose to the Liberty

The Chicago Sky lost to the New York Liberty 93 to 85 in Sunday’s matinee. The Sky kept it close, but we’re unable to overcome the absence of Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, and Stefanie Dolson.

Defensive woes

The game was tight throughout and the Liberty were able to pull away for good, late in the third with back to back threes. The Sky just didn’t have enough offensive fire power to keep up with the Liberty on Sunday. The Liberty had a whopping six players in double figures. Laney led the way with 20 points and Ionescu was right behind her with 19. The Sky are usually a great defensive team, but they struggled with interior defense and were unable to stop the Liberty in the fourth.

Some positives

Despite the loss the Chicago Sky had some positives. Ruthy Hebard was fantastic, she had a double double, and also had four of the teams five blocks. Courtney Vandersloot masterfully ran the offense scoring 14 points and dropping 16 dimes in this game. Thanks to their performances the team stayed in the game until the final minutes in the fourth.

Next for the Sky

The Sky play the Dream next on Tuesday. It looks like the team will be without Candace Parker for a bit longer as she posted a picture of her very swollen ankle on Instagram. You can see it if you dare, here. Hopefully the Sky can manage a win against the Dream despite the limitations the roster currently has due to injuries and Team USA obligations.

2021 Season Preview

The 2021 season is the most anticipated season in Chicago Sky history. The team is coming off of two back to back winning seasons and just added a superstar (Candace Parker) to the roster. It’s not necessarily championship or bust, but it’s about as close to that as a team can be.

Incorporating Candace Parker

Adding Candace Parker to this roster and maximizing her ability and the roster rotation around her will be key. I know this might seem like the least of concern to most people, but to me it’s the key to the season. The Chicago Sky core of Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Diamond DeShields, and Stefanie Dolson have been together for years. They know how to play off of each other, how to play different roles as part of this team, they have a chemistry together. It takes time to build that kind of chemistry and comradery with someone and the Sky have to do that with their new star. Now this is a great problem to have, but a problem nonetheless. Incorporating Candace Parker and optimizing the play of the team around her will be coach Wade’s biggest challenge. This team is fully loaded, but knowing who should play over who and who will shine in what role can be the difference between a championship season or just another winning one.

Odd Schedule

2020 was a season unlike any other. While we are all optimistic for 2021 it is far from a normal season. Fan attendance city by city is still unknown and a constantly changing situation. The Olympics will be happening and putting a pause on the season in the summer. The WNBA will also be implementing the Commissioner’s Cup, a new in-season tournament. Navigating this season’s odd schedule will be a key to any team’s success.

Health is key

Without health, we have nothing. If the Chicago Sky have any major injuries it can jeopardize their season. Now this is an aspect one can only control so much, but it is one of the most important aspects. I include it in the season review because it’s an important factor to remember. When player’s get banged up, the organization has to navigate that wisely and cautiously. Luckily, the Chicago Sky have demonstrated that they do the right thing in terms of injury precaution time and time again. I’m confident they’ll never let a player play if they feel it can jeopardize their health. When everyone is healthy it’s a moment to be grateful. If 2020 taught us anything it was that health is a blessing and isn’t promised to anyone. Never take it for granted in the team’s you root for or in your personal life.

It don’t mean a thing without a ring

This team has been good maybe even great during the James Wade era. However, it’ll be a time remembered by how many rings were earned or not earned in that time. History is written by the winners and if this Chicago Sky team wins, they’ll go down in history as the greatest Chicago Sky team of all time. You don’t bring in a superstar talent like Candace Parker if you just wanna win. You bring her in to win some championships. Let’s see if the Chicago Sky can optimize her role on this team, work out the rotation, navigate through the schedule, and stay heathy. If they can accomplish all this, they’ll be in a great position to win their first championship in franchise history.

Chicago Sky training with USA Basketball

The USA Basketball Women’s National Team held a second minicamp from March 30-April 2 in San Antonio Texas. At the camp three Chicago Sky players attended, Diamond DeShields, Stefanie Dolson, and Kahleah Copper. I wrote about Dolson’s time playing with the 3×3 team during the March 27-30 training camp here. Kahleah Copper and Diamond DeShields were both made available after practice on different days to talk to the media and I was able to talk to them thanks to the access I was given via USA Basketball. So today I want to talk about their current situation with USA Basketball and what is next for them and USA Basketball in this Olympic year.

Kahleah Copper

Kahleah is new to USA Basketball. She had her first camp with the team in February and was named as part of the USA National Team pool prior to this training camp. With her being new to USA Basketball I wondered how her experience with the team differed from her experience in the Chicago Sky training camps.

USA Basketball is a puzzle. It’s like putting a puzzle together trying to get the best pieces to fit together to win a gold medal.
Kahleah Copper

I’m surprised with how composed and calm Copper has been about being part of Team USA. If she’s overwhelmed or nervous at all she’s hiding it tremendously well. She seemed more like a focused veteran than a new member of Team USA. I’m taking that to be a good sign for how she’s adapting to this environment.

Diamond DeShields

The only thing brighter than Diamond DeShields future is her attitude. Always upbeat, always energetic, and always focused. I asked her how she deals with the fact that yes, this is a camp and a time to bond and mesh with teammates, but also, players are competing for limited spots on an Olympic team.

It’s about finding the role that you’ll play on the team… When I think about perimeter players specifically, I think about defending first, just being long, being athletic, being disruptive as a defender.
Diamond DeShields

Playing for Team USA is definitely a different role than the role one plays for their WNBA team. In the W all these players are stars, but for Team USA you might be playing a much more limited role. The fact Diamond is focused on what that role will be and how can she can be the ideal perimeter player for this team is a good sign. Hopefully, the coaching staff noticed the effort level and athleticism she provides on the defensive side of the ball.

What’s next?

Both the Men and Women will be participating in the FIBA 3×3 Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Graz, Australia from May 26-30. They need to finish in the top three to earn a spot in the inaugural 3×3 Olympic tournament at the 2021 Games in Tokyo.

Diamond DeShields Season Review

Diamond DeShields had a 2020 season I’d like to soon forget. It’s almost unfair to even evaluate Diamond’s 2020 season. The entire time she was battling issues with her knee, her quad, and, ultimately, left the wubble early on August 29th, for personal reasons. So, let’s review the year, but keep in mind the circumstances that caused the numbers.

A Down Year

DeShields averaged 6.8 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 1.5 assists. This was by far her worst season statistically speaking. All her numbers were down and she went from starting every game in 2019 to starting zero games in 2020.

Besides looking at the numbers I watched the tape. I’ve watched all games when they were happening and went back this week and rewatched a few key games. What I saw then and what I see now is a player who was just unable to be their normal self. She was unable to use her athleticism to be the dynamic player she is. You rarely saw her pushing the ball up court or driving to the basket off of pick and rolls. Defensively she was okay, but I saw her dropping back on a lot of pick and rolls and she didn’t pressure ball handlers like she did last year. You see this when looking at her her steals. Last year she averaged 1.3 steals per game and that dropped to 0.9 this season.

Heart of a Champion

Despite the challenges Diamond had I give her tremendous credit. She really didn’t have to even enter the wubble. In fact, I was hoping she would get pulled so she could get 100% healthy. This is just me speculating, but my guess is her getting to 100% healthy might’ve taken a month and in the wubble that would’ve killed her season. Maybe in a normal season she just misses the first four weeks and returns for the rest of the season ready to go. Again, this is me speculating, I have no inside information on this.

So while I wish she rested I give her a lot of credit for being such a warrior and playing hurt all season. So many others wouldn’t have done that. It’s a testament to her commitment to the game, her teammates, and maybe even some stubbornness.

2021 Will Be Better

I can’t wait for Diamond’s 2020 season. I expect her to have a huge bounce back season and comeback as the All- Star she is. This year was mired by injuries so as long as she’s healthy she will be just fine. As of right now it seems she’s not playing overseas. This may change, but I think that’s just fine. She just needs to rest and needs to be 100% for 2021. For Diamond all I want to see is her healthy again. I know she has great talent she just needs to stay healthy. Here’s hoping she’s back to the Diamond we all know and love on 2021.