The Sky looks brighter this season. Chicago’s franchise in the WNBA converted last year’s inaugural 5-29 record into three top-20 college draft picks, and it’s hired a coach who’s clearly more engaged than the old one. The combination of new talent and new tactics has turned the Sky into a bona fide basketball team.
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Candice Dupree, the team’s top draft pick last season, remains its best player. She looked more polished than ever–comfortable on the perimeter and in the post, shooting and passing–and the players around her seemed much improved. Scrappy Armintie Price of Mississippi, the team’s top draft pick this spring (and third overall), moved in at guard alongside veteran point guard Dominique Canty, a free agent from Chicago (Whitney Young High) who was signed during the off-season. Brooke Wyckoff, a holdover from last year, complemented Dupree at forward, and free agent Kayte Christensen started at center. Seven-foot-two Connecticut Sun center Margo Dydek had a foot on her, but Christensen held her ground on defense and offensively she went right at her bigger, slower opponent (or, a couple times, backed up to hit sweet set shots). Dupree was freeing the guards–who included five-foot-five Stephanie Raymond from Northern Illinois, the 20th draft pick, who comes off the bench–with high pick and rolls, either to get them a shot or to get herself open for a return pass, and she had 15 points and four assists at the half. Playing a stern yet flexible zone defense, the Sky opened a 17-point lead early in the second half.
These Sky players looked talented, capable, and organized–in marked contrast with last season’s team–and the credit almost certainly is due to new coach and general manager Bo Overton, who replaced Dave Cowens. For all his credentials–he’s a hall of famer ranked as one of the top 50 players in NBA history–Cowens was a little like manager Jimmy Dugan, the dipsomaniacal Tom Hanks character in A League of Their Own who was modeled on baseball great Jimmie Foxx. Tolerant of the Sky’s play to a fault, Cowens never seemed to expect more from his team than he got or even to take the job very seriously. I’ve been told he barely glanced at the scouting reports on Sky opponents. This season he returned to the NBA as an assistant with the Detroit Pistons.
The second half was a slog, with every possession a struggle and the Sky relying on one-on-one play from Canty and Dupree. The Lynx kept coming, closing to four points in the game’s final minute. But the crowd–heavy with shrieking kids thanks to a family-friendly 5 PM start–kept shouting, the drum brigade kept pounding, about half the 3,477 in attendance hit the floor, and the Sky held on to win 78-72. Dupree and Canty finished with 20 and 16 points. Melvin played over half the game and had 12. This first home win of the season evened the Sky’s record at 3-3, and I’ll admit I felt every bit as involved watching this team come of age as I have watching the Bulls.
