PHOENIX- By way of 4 video games, the Chicago Sky are adjusting to first-year head coach Tyler Marsh’s system and have discovered many beneficial classes from the teaching workers.
Regardless of beginning the season 0-4, tied for his or her worst document since 2010, the Sky consider they’re shifting in the appropriate route by staying aggressive and aggressive in pursuit of victories. Chicago constructed a 16-point lead within the third quarter, however ended up dropping the highway recreation to the Phoenix Mercury by 5 factors.
“I feel so,” Marsh stated postgame. “There comes a time when the ethical victories are what they’re, however I do know we’re nonetheless retaining our heads held excessive within the locker room. We fought tonight. I believed we performed about in addition to you’ll be able to play in that first half and we put collectively some good moments within the second half. Simply got here out on the quick finish.”
Marsh’s Teaching Resume
Marsh is in his first season as the top coach of the Chicago Sky. He served as an assistant coach below Becky Hammon with the Las Vegas Aces for 3 seasons, throughout which the workforce gained back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
Earlier than becoming a member of the WNBA as an assistant coach, Marsh started his teaching profession as a participant growth coach for the Rio Grande Vipers, the place he gained a NBA D-League (now generally known as the NBA G-League) championship below Nick Nurse in 2013.
After serving as an assistant coach within the NBA G-League, he joined the Toronto Raptors as a participant growth coach on Nurse’s teaching workers. He spent two seasons with the franchise, culminating in an NBA championship victory in 2019.
Marsh shared within the pregame that studying easy methods to develop workforce chemistry with the appropriate individuals in his system will proceed to enhance as he shares the teachings he has discovered.
“It is laborious, but it surely’s enjoyable,” Marsh stated pregame. “One factor you be taught, regardless of the place that you simply’re in, is once you’re round individuals that you simply take pleasure in being round, it makes the expertise that a lot better. So that you’re in a position to deal with the robust instances because it comes with a special sort of perspective, understanding that you will battle with a gaggle of gamers that combat for one another, and with a workers that fights for one another. That is all I can ask for as a head coach.
“And if we’re dedicated to the method of doing issues the appropriate approach and the way in which that we wish it executed, then you understand the outcomes will deal with themselves ultimately. And so we’re simply having fun with the method, but in addition need to give a stage of focus required, once more, to be the workforce that we want to be.”
Classes Sky Gamers Have Discovered By way of Marsh’s System By way of 4 Video games
Veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot has returned to the Sky after spending the final two years with the New York Liberty, throughout which she gained her second WNBA Championship final 12 months. Famend as among the best level guards in WNBA historical past, she excels at delivering assists to her teammates and scoring within the paint.
Vandersloot believes that Marsh and his teaching workers are enhancing the workforce’s confidence each on and off the court docket, regardless of their document not assembly the Sky’s expectations.
“I am 15 years in,” Vandersloot advised Ballislife postgame. “It is not like we have discovered that he believes in us, he instills confidence in us. You already know, completely different areas, completely different actions. He’s detail-oriented. So, he is actually fascinated about how we’re approaching issues. And so, he will get us in the appropriate spots.”
Middle Elizabeth Williams is in her eleventh WNBA season and third with the Chicago Sky. She mentioned the mindset and id that coach Marsh and his workers are instilling within the workforce.
“I imply, we need to be disruptive (and) defensively dictate how the sport goes,” Williams advised Ballislife. “I feel for probably the most half, we did, after which Phoenix acquired scorching within the second half. However typically, that is the mindset we need to have.”
Chicago constructed a 16-point lead over the Phoenix Mercury, among the best defensive groups within the league, and left the town with their heads held excessive. Vandersloot was one of many gamers who scored in double figures on Tuesday and completed with a double-double with 15 factors and 11 assists.
“There’s lots to take from it,” Vandersloot stated. “We competed rather well. We led many of the recreation. We had to determine easy methods to make successful performs. That is what nice groups do, and that is what they did tonight. We’ve got to protect the 3-point line higher. We’re gonna have a special recreation plan going ahead with them. However offensively, we scored 89 factors (and) we did our job there.”
Guard Ariel Atkins led the Sky with 21 factors and 6 rebounds in opposition to the Mercury and is adjusting fairly nicely into Marsh’s system by means of 4 video games. She was acquired by the workforce within the offseason by means of a commerce with the Washington Mystics after spending seven seasons with the workforce and successful a championship in 2019.
Atkins gained beneficial classes throughout her time with the Mystics, below Mike Thibault and his son, Eric Thibault. She believes the Sky will proceed to stay aggressive of their pursuit of wins.
“We’re hungry for it,” Atkins stated. “We simply must preserve preventing and simply proceed to get higher, stick collectively. I feel it will be too simple to only type of fold and be like, ‘aw, man.’ This season is so lengthy. We’re what, 4 video games into the season? We’re not going to fold. We’re simply going to maintain pushing.”
Angel Reese Makes Historical past
Chicago Sky ahead Angel Reese grew to become the quickest participant in WNBA historical past to attain 500 factors and seize 500 rebounds, doing it in 38 profession video games. She is main the league in rebounds per recreation with 14.0
Throughout Tuesday’s recreation in Phoenix, Reese had a double-double with 13 factors, 15 rebounds, and three steals and performed practically 34 minutes of motion. Some followers in attendance wore Reese jerseys and cheered each time she made a play.
“It positively felt higher, however clearly we’re not happy,” Reese stated. “Plenty of us are winners – all of us are winners. We need to win, and I feel tonight we positively had some sparks the place we all know our benefits, we all know issues that we are able to excel at.
“I simply assume defensively we’ve to proceed to protect our yard collectively, collectively. I feel it’s one thing we’ve to look again at. Clearly, we are able to see we are able to rating. Everyone, from prime to backside, we are able to see we are able to rating. We simply must defend. As soon as we get again all the way down to that, I feel we’ll be nice.”
All through the season, Vandersloot has expressed that constructing workforce chemistry with Reese and middle Kamilla Cardoso has been satisfying to witness.
“It is unbelievable,” Vandersloot advised Ballislife. “You already know what she’s doing, and he or she’s doing it at a excessive stage, and he or she continues to do it each night time. It speaks extremely of how laborious she performs and competes each night time. She’s acquired a fantastic profession forward of her.”
Williams echoed Vandersloot’s remarks about Reese making historical past, noting that the WNBA is residence to legends who’ve paved the way in which over time.
“I imply, it says lots about her, how laborious she’s working, and the extent of basketball she’s taking part in,” Williams advised Ballislife. “So it is superior (and) it is a large achievement. It is a league of some actually nice gamers. So it says lots (about her accomplishments).”
Chicago Sky to Retire Candace Parker’s Jersey
The Chicago Sky introduced on Wednesday they may retire Candace Parker’s jersey No. 3 throughout a recreation in opposition to A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Monday, August 25. It will mark the primary time within the franchise’s 20-year historical past {that a} jersey quantity has been retired.
Parker will make historical past as the primary participant in WNBA historical past to have her jersey quantity retired by a number of groups within the league. The Los Angeles Sparks, the workforce that drafted her at first general out of Tennessee within the 2008 WNBA Draft, will retire her jersey quantity on Sunday, June 29, throughout their recreation in opposition to the Chicago Sky.
“Rising up in Naperville, taking part in on courts round right here with my brothers, and watching Chicago groups just like the Bulls who grew to become synonymous with successful, I by no means imagined in the future my jersey would grasp within the rafters of my hometown workforce,” Parker stated in press launch. “Coming residence to Chicago and serving to convey the town its first WNBA championship right here—it was private. I’m past grateful to the town, the followers, and everybody who’s been a part of my journey. Chicago raised me, and it will all the time be residence.”
All through her skilled profession, Parker gained three WNBA championships with the Sparks, Sky, and Aces and was named the Most Beneficial Participant twice in 2008 and 2013 and Finals MVP in 2016. She can also be the one participant to win Rookie of the 12 months and Most Beneficial Participant awards in the identical season.
Parker was named to the All-WNBA first and second groups ten instances, acknowledged as a WNBA Peak Performer thrice, participated in seven WNBA All-Star video games, and was chosen for the WNBA’s twentieth and twenty fifth anniversary groups.
“Candace Parker is a legend, future hall-of-famer, and synonymous with Illinois basketball. We’re thrilled she determined to return residence to Chicago to assist the Sky win a championship in 2021,” Chicago Sky CEO and President Adam Fox stated. “Candace has left an indelible mark on ladies’s basketball at each stage and has impressed numerous gamers and followers by means of her excellent management and basketball expertise on and off the court docket. We’re honored to retire her jersey and have a good time her unbelievable legacy as a Chicago Sky participant.”
Though Parker performed for her hometown workforce, the Sky, for less than two seasons, her influence on ladies’s basketball in her hometown is noticeable from highschool to the skilled stage and is taken into account among the best in WNBA historical past.
The Chicago Sky face Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at residence on Thursday.
