Are the Chicago Sky in a position to push for a playoff berth this season?
The Sky loaded up on veteran talent following a transitional year that saw two All-Rookie seasons from Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Chicago will have a variety of talent at the shooting guard to look out for, including two former New York Liberty teammates in Rebecca Allen and Kia Nurse. From a handful of key matchups against midwestern rivals, to a tough slate with playoff contenders to end the month of August, the Sky will have plenty of in-season tests that will ultimately determine their place in the WNBA landscape after making a few key investments in the offseason.
The Sky signed guard Courtney Vandersloot to a one-year contract earlier this offseason. The five-time All-Star will fill the role she once held before departing for the Liberty in 2023. Chicago started Dana Evans and Lindsay Allen, who were both sent to different squads in offseason trades, at the point last season. How will Vandersloot play a role in Chicago's playoff return? Will the Sky legend be the engine the squad needs to continue the Sky's upward trajectory?
Courtney Vandersloot's passing talent could be key to the postseason
Vandersloot will need to be the passing expert she was in her first stint with Chicago for it to have a chance at the postseason.
The former first-round selection averaged just under seven assists per game in her first 12 years with the Sky. She peaked at a league-leading 10 assists per game in 2020, which only added to her case for the All-WNBA First-Team that season. Vandersloot had an eye for opening up easy looks for her Liberty teammates on the perimeter and on the fastbreak last season. She will need to continue creating opportunities for a few of the Sky's new scoring and shooting guards as they look to strengthen their offense.
Vandersloot may play a key role in the development of Reese, who ended Unrivaled's inaugural season with a pair of league-wide awards. She emphasized a need for Reese to shoot from the elbow and up her range in a March article from Chicago Tribune Bulls reporter Julia Poe.
“Being able to stretch her range is going to be a big thing,” Vandersloot told the Tribune. “It doesn’t have to be a 3-pointer now, but she needs to be consistently knocking down elbow jumpers.
"I’m going to get her a lot of catch-and-shoot shots. Her being able to knock that down will make us a really hard team to guard.”
Should she make good on her promise, both Reese and Cardoso may end up being the ultimate winners of the offseason as they play alongside the proven guard.