May 15--Elena Delle Donne and the Sky have championship aspirations for 2016. They begin their quest in Saturday's opener against the Sun at Allstate Arena.
Delle Donne won the 2015 MVP in her third season, when she averaged 23.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 46 percent from the field and a WNBA record 95 percent on free throws.
She is joined by a nearly intact roster from last year's team, including Chicago native Cappie Pondexter, a seven-time All-Star.
The Sky's 83 points per game led the league in 2015, but they also ranked next-to-last with 79 points allowed. Sixth-year coach Pokey Chatman said that defense will be the key to her team's season following last year's 21-13 record and first-round playoff exit.
The Sky looked to shore up that end of the court in the draft, taking Imani Boyette of Texas with the 10th pick. The 6-foot-7 center is the sister of NBA player JaVale McGee and the daughter of former WNBA player Pam McGee.
Mainstay point guard Courtney Vandersloot returns for the Sky, as do Brazilian post players Erika de Souza and Clarissa dos Santos. Two-time defending Sixth Woman of the Year Allie Quigley leads a talented group of role players that includes forwards Jessica Breland and Tamera Young and guard Jamierra Faulkner.
The Sun underwent an offseason overhaul that included replacing head coach Anne Donovan with former Sparks assistant Curt Miller. The team had three of the top six picks in the 2016 draft, with Bolingbrook's Morgan Tuck of UConn picked third, Minnesota's Rachel Banham fourth and George Washington's Jonquel Jones sixth.
Chiney Ogwumike, the 2014 Rookie of the Year, returns for the Sun after missing 2015 following microfracture surgery on her right knee.
