PHOENIX- By way of 4 video games, the Chicago Sky are adjusting to first-year head coach Tyler Marsh’s system and have realized many invaluable classes from the teaching workers.
Regardless of beginning the season 0-4, tied for his or her worst file since 2010, the Sky consider they’re transferring in the proper course by staying aggressive and aggressive in pursuit of victories. Chicago constructed a 16-point lead within the third quarter, however ended up shedding the highway sport 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 maintaining our heads held excessive within the locker room. We fought tonight. I believed we performed about in addition to you possibly can 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 pinnacle coach of the Chicago Sky. He served as an assistant coach beneath Becky Hammon with the Las Vegas Aces for 3 seasons, throughout which the workforce received 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 received a NBA D-League (now referred to as the NBA G-League) championship beneath 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 how one can develop workforce chemistry with the proper folks in his system will proceed to enhance as he shares the teachings he has realized.
“It is arduous, nevertheless it’s enjoyable,” Marsh stated pregame. “One factor you be taught, irrespective of the place that you simply’re in, is whenever you’re round folks that you simply take pleasure in being round, it makes the expertise that a lot better. So that you’re capable of deal with the robust instances because it comes with a distinct sort of perspective, realizing that you’ll 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 proper method and the best way that we wish it executed, then the outcomes will deal with themselves ultimately. And so we’re simply having fun with the method, but additionally wish to give a degree of focus required, once more, to be the workforce that we want to be.”
Classes Sky Gamers Have Realized 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 received 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 courtroom, regardless of their file not assembly the Sky’s expectations.
“I am 15 years in,” Vandersloot advised Ballislife postgame. “It isn’t like we have realized that he believes in us, he instills confidence in us. You recognize, completely different areas, completely different actions. He’s detail-oriented. So, he is actually concerned with how we’re approaching issues. And so, he will get us in the proper spots.”
Heart Elizabeth Williams is in her eleventh WNBA season and third with the Chicago Sky. She mentioned the mindset and identification that coach Marsh and his workers are instilling within the workforce.
“I imply, we wish 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 received scorching within the second half. However typically, that is the mindset we wish 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 quite a bit to take from it,” Vandersloot stated. “We competed very well. We led a lot of the sport. We had to determine how one can make successful performs. That is what nice groups do, and that is what they did tonight. We’ve to protect the 3-point line higher. We’re gonna have a distinct sport 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 effectively 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 invaluable classes throughout her time with the Mystics, beneath 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 should preserve combating and simply proceed to get higher, stick collectively. I feel it will be too simple to simply sort 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 sport with 14.0
Throughout Tuesday’s sport in Phoenix, Reese had a double-double with 13 factors, 15 rebounds, and three steals and performed almost 34 minutes of motion. Some followers in attendance wore Reese jerseys and cheered each time she made a play.
“It undoubtedly felt higher, however clearly we’re not glad,” Reese stated. “Quite a lot of us are winners – all of us are winners. We wish to win, and I feel tonight we undoubtedly 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 now we have to proceed to protect our yard collectively, collectively. I feel it’s one thing now we have 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 should defend. As soon as we get again right 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 pleasant to witness.
“It is unimaginable,” Vandersloot advised Ballislife. “You recognize what she’s doing, and he or she’s doing it at a excessive degree, and he or she continues to do it each evening. It speaks extremely of how arduous she performs and competes each evening. She’s received an incredible profession forward of her.”
Williams echoed Vandersloot’s remarks about Reese making historical past, noting that the WNBA is house to legends who’ve paved the best way through the years.
“I imply, it says quite a bit about her, how arduous she’s working, and the extent of basketball she’s enjoying,” 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 quite a bit (about her accomplishments).”
Chicago Sky to Retire Candace Parker’s Jersey
The Chicago Sky introduced on Wednesday they’ll retire Candace Parker’s jersey No. 3 throughout a sport in opposition to A’ja Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Monday, August 25. This may 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 total out of Tennessee within the 2008 WNBA Draft, will retire her jersey quantity on Sunday, June 29, throughout their sport in opposition to the Chicago Sky.
“Rising up in Naperville, enjoying 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 sooner or later my jersey would dangle within the rafters of my hometown workforce,” Parker stated in press launch. “Coming house to Chicago and serving to deliver 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 house.”
All through her skilled profession, Parker received three WNBA championships with the Sparks, Sky, and Aces and was named the Most Invaluable Participant twice in 2008 and 2013 and Finals MVP in 2016. She can be the one participant to win Rookie of the Yr and Most Invaluable 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 house 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 degree and has impressed numerous gamers and followers by means of her excellent management and basketball expertise on and off the courtroom. We’re honored to retire her jersey and have fun her unimaginable legacy as a Chicago Sky participant.”
Though Parker performed for her hometown workforce, the Sky, for under two seasons, her impression on ladies’s basketball in her hometown is noticeable from highschool to the skilled degree and is taken into account among the best in WNBA historical past.
The Chicago Sky face Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings at house on Thursday.
