We are back for another week of WNBA season previews. With the draft complete, the rosters are set. So once a week until the season is back, I will be looking at one team. I will discuss their changes and what to expect from them this season.
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.
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