To build up, I will be going in reverse order from the standings a season ago. We move on to the team that for much of last season, everyone gave the benefit of the doubt. Coming off a title run on a .500 season, it was easy to assume everything would eventually click. 

For the 2022 Chicago Sky, the click never quite came at the highest level. 

2022 Recap

That may feel like a harsh statement for a team that finished with the best record in the league. Their advanced metrics, however, told the story of a team that was destined to come up short. They finished third in offensive rating and fourth in defensive rating. 

There were flashes of brilliance. Emma Meesseman was everything the team hoped for when they secured her out of nowhere. Azura Stevens took a noticeable leap, becoming one of the best bench players in the league. Courtney Vandersloot and Candace Parker are timeless. Kahleah Copper (more on her shortly) continued to cement herself as the face of this team. 

The inconsistencies reared their head at the worst possible time. After finishing the season 3-3 in August, the playoffs started with a surprising loss to the upstart New York Liberty. They were able to ultimately weather the storm, but the Sun were too much for them. Then came the rebuild.

Offseason Overview

Out: Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Azura Stevens, Courtney Vandersloot, Julie Allemand, Emma Meesseman 

In: Elizabeth Williams, Courtney Williams, Isabelle Harrison, Marina Mabrey, Alanna Smith

Re-Signed: Astou Ndour-Fall, Rebekah Gardner

2023 Draft: Kayana Traylor, Kseniya Malashka

Watching four starters and two of the top reserves leave in one off-season would be crippling for any franchise. Candace Parker did what she came home to do, Courtney Vandersloot watched her wife step away and went elsewhere to continue to pursue winning. Azura Stevens is ready to be a starter in her own right. 

To their credit, Chicago did what they could to bring in talent. They gave up a lot to bring in Marina Mabrey: two first-round picks, swap rights on another first-rounder, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, and the rights to Leonie Fiebich. Mabrey came a long way in recent seasons with Dallas. She will have to continue on an All-Star trajectory to benefit her new backcourt mate. Elizabeth Williams is a steady hand and will provide depth behind fellow newcomer Isabelle Harrison. Courtney Williams, for better or worse, is not afraid of any moment. 

Perhaps the best move they made, though, was bringing back Rebekah Gardner. As a 32-year-old rookie, Gardner became a quick favorite of many for her tenacious defense and smart playmaking. She will be essential for the team if they hope to make a return to the postseason. 

However, no one is more important than Kahleah Copper. 

Her Team Now

From the moment she signed her new contract with the team following the title, Kahleah Copper was confirmed to be the future face of this team. She was rightfully the Finals MVP on a team loaded with standouts. This season, she was even better. 

Copper posted career highs across the board: 15.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 2.3 assists per game. She knocked down 35.6 percent of her career-high 3.3 3-point attempts per game. But her aggression remains her defining factor. 

Tenacity is an understatement. She attacks the rim with reckless abandon no matter who is in front of her. She is able to be patient and wait to draw in defenders. Then she attacks and makes everyone pay for whatever mistake they may make. 

As good as she is in the half-court, attacking in transition might be her greatest strength. It was what Candace Parker noted in her immediately after coming to the team. She unlocked the All-Star potential in Copper and the latter is never looking back. Now, she is going to be relied upon to be the definitive number one option on a team. This season will be fascinating to watch her grow. 

Prediction 

Despite their best efforts to rebuild on the fly around Copper, this is going to be a down season. While the rest of the league is getting better, Chicago is noticeably much worse than they were a season ago. If everything breaks exactly right they may be able to sneak into the back end of the playoffs, but I would bet against it. 

For the fans of developing talent, though, this could be fun. Dana Evans has shown flashes in her two seasons and will be tasked with a much larger workload. Ruthy Hebard was a college standout and may finally get a chance to take a step forward. While this may come with a 10-seed, that is also part of the process.

The post Chicago Sky: 2023 Season Preview appeared first on Swish Theory.

To build up, I will be going in reverse order from the standings a season ago. Today, we are tackling a team that started to clean its slate in the middle of last season and now seems to be heading in a much more positive direction. Los Angeles was something of a mess last season and saw their two most polarizing figures move on. Let’s start there.

2022 Recap

Let’s be honest. No one liked Derek Fisher. Fans complained about him from the time he came until the time he left. He was an unpopular figure as both coach and general manager. Add that to the fact that he is linked heavily to franchise cornerstones Candance Parker and Chelsea Gray leaving to win titles elsewhere, no one is likely to miss the former Laker guard. 

This season was a mixed bag even beyond Fisher. 

Lexie Brown came to the team and evolved into one of the best shooters in the league. Among players shooting at least three 3-pointers per game over at least 20 games, she posted the eighth-highest (39.8) percentage in the league. She went from looking to catch on, to establishing a home. 

Then there was Slim. Brittney Sykes has been one of the best defensive guards in the league for the last few years. Again she led the league in assists (2.0) and made All-Defensive First Team. Her presence will be tough for the team to replicate. 

On the other end of the spectrum, the Liz Cambage experience was about as chaotic as one would expect. While still being productive, it was clear it was not going to work. Attitude concerns have been commonplace for years with the former star. As the story of racist comments during Olympic scrimmages continued to develop, things went from bad to worse. Cambage has alleged that her departure from both the Australian National Team and the WNBA was due to mental health reasons.

A midseason contract divorce and subsequent retirement from the WNBA concluded the saga. Combine that with the preseason treatment and suspension of Amanda Zahui B. and this is clearly a choice the organization will be happy to move on from. 

Return to Form

It was great to have the Ogwumike sisters on the court together. 

Nneka played a full season for the first time since 2019, leading to her return to the All-Star Game. Finishing tied for second in the league in stats (1.7 per game) while averaging 18.1 points and 6.6 rebounds, the former MVP was special. 

It was easy to leave her off of MVP ballots this season given the record of the team. A’ja Wilson, Breanna Stewart, and others were having tremendous seasons in winning situations. But Nneka belonged right in that conversation.  

How much more could you really ask for? As the team reloads this season, this kind of chemistry and willingness to pass out of your shot for someone else’s better shot will be essential. Chiney, for her part, also played more games than she had since 2019. She is still a valued teammate living her best life playing with her sister.  

Offseason Overview

Out: Kristi Tolliver, Amanda Zahui B., Brittney Sykes, Kianna Smith, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Jasmine Walker

In: Azura Stevens, Dearica Hamby, Jasmine Thomas, Stephanie Talbot

2023 Draft: #10, #14, #26

Re-Signed: Nneka Ogwumike, Chiney Ogwumike, Jordin Canada, Lexie Brown

When it comes to change, the Los Angeles Sparks will not get mentioned alongside the super teams or the teardowns, but they should be. Sykes moving on is a big deal. However, beyond that negative, the overall infusion of talent is immense.

Azura Stevens had a legitimate shot at the Sixth Woman of the Year award. She always deserved more than a bench role, but Chicago was not able to give her one. Her tenacity turned into her getting that opportunity elsewhere.

Jasmine Thomas may be coming off a major injury, but she is an amazing leader. If she is able to return to form on the court in any way, the Sparks are getting a point-of-attack genius. She is an extension of new coach Curt Miller on the court, making the transition that much easier.

Speaking of Miller, the upgrade from Fisher to Miller is unspeakable. It has become commonplace to mock the Sun for not getting over the final hurdle. It ignores the fact that in his tenure the team won 60 percent of their games, made two WNBA Finals, two semi-finals, and only missed the playoffs once. They were a top-five defensive unit in each of the last five years. He is going to change this team noticeably.

Finally, there is Dearica Hamby. As a former Sixth Woman of the Year and All-Star, when Hamby returns from pregnancy she will be a boon for this roster. The controversy surrounding the Aces’ handling of her is something the league is and should continue to investigate. For the Sparks, the only thing they need to do is be patient. Hamby is a star and will fit right in whenever she is ready.

Prediction

The Sparks look like a more professional organization this season. Making the push into the postseason got a little easier with teams like Chicago and Seattle taking a noticeable step back, but it will still not be easy. Banking on Hamby and Thomas to return to form quickly would be essential.

Perhaps it will finally be time for belief in Chennedy Carter to be rewarded. The potential still jumps off the page three years in. Maybe a new coach can help unlock everything fans have been waiting to see from Hollywood.

As far as team success, sneaking into the back end of the playoffs still feels like the ceiling. If I were to place a bet on it, give me Nneka and Coach Miller getting this organization back on track.

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