If their practice Monday was any indication of what the Sky’s offense will look like this season, fans can expect guard Courtney Vandersloot to get a boost in assists thanks to first-round pick Katie Lou Samuelson.
“That’s what we brought her here for,” Vandersloot said with a laugh. “No, but seriously, I’m going to try to get her open looks. That’s what my job is, and if she’s open, she’s going to knock it down.”
When the Sky opened training camp last week, first-year coach James Wade said he wanted his young team to find its identity quickly.
The day before the Sky’s preseason opener against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena, Wade said they’re still searching.
“We’re a team that’s not quite ready to start the season yet,” Wade said. “I want us to be a team that plays hard, that gives maximum effort and that’s hard to play against. That’s what I want our identity to be, but we’re not there yet.”
One reason for the identity problem: Wade is still waiting for his team to be complete.
Guard Allie Quigley will rejoin the Sky on Tuesday after fulfilling her obligations in Italy for Famila Wuber Schio, and center Astou Ndour won’t join the team until closer to the start of the regular season.
Despite the missing pieces, the Sky are on their way to establishing an uptempo offense that caters to the team’s talented three-point shooters.
Wade wants his players to reach a point where they’re thinking less, playing more and establishing a rhythm on offense. This won’t be easy with such a young roster, but with veterans Vandersloot and Quigley leading the charge, he has confidence they’ll get it done.
“Our offense is a lot different from what they’re probably used to,” Wade said. “There’s a lot of ball movement, a lot of action on two sides of the floor, but there’s different ways to get into that action. I’m going to put them in different situations, and that can be challenging right now.
“It’s going to take us a couple of games. Hopefully, [it’ll take] these two preseason games and the scrimmage next week to find our niche. If you give us another week or two, we’ll be fine.”
Another key is the development of Diamond DeShields and Gabby Williams, who say they have a new sense of confidence entering Year 2.
Williams, fresh off a championship season overseas, focused on her shot this offseason, averaging 14 points in 23 games for Spar Citylift Girona in Spain. She has no intention of slowing down.
“I was getting a lot of shots up,” Williams said. “Learning how to miss and then bounce back and hit the next one. I think that’s the biggest difference in my game. I’m just playing with more confidence, more fluidity and not second-guessing myself as much.”
