The WNBA is back on the court following the Olympic break and the short half of the season is now underway. The Sky are within reach of the eighth and final playoff slot, although they trail the Indiana Fever for that coveted spot by two games after the Sky's tough two-point loss to the Aces on Sunday.
Chicago is looking to extend its playoff streak to six straight seasons, which would be a new franchise record. To do that, they'll have to chase down their budding rival Indiana while fending off a stretch run from the Atlanta Dream, who sit just a half game behind the Sky. Head-to-head matchups will go a long way toward determining those final two playoff spots.
The Fever come to Wintrust Arena on August 30 and the Sky head to Atlanta for the penultimate game of the regular season on September 17. Aside from winning those two games, there are a few things the Sky need to do to land a playoff spot and potentially make some postseason noise.
The Sky must improve their three-point shooting
Chicago's glaring weakness this season has been poor shooting from long range, although newly acquired veteran guard Rachel Banham should help in that regard. The Sky currently rank last in the WNBA in three-pointers made and attempted per game, and their 30.8% long-range accuracy is tenth best in the league. Improving those numbers will fall to Banham, Dana Evans, and Michaela Onyenwere.
Kamilla Cardoso has to step up for the stretch run
To mount a playoff charge, the Sky will need more from their top pick in last year's draft. While Angel Reese – who went seventh – is on a record-breaking rebounding pace this season, third selection Kamilla Cardoso has struggled to make her presence felt on the offensive end after missing the first six games of the season with a shoulder injury.
Cardoso appears to be rounding into the form that earned her All-American honors and a John Wooden Award win in her final season at South Carolina. She tallied 18 points against the Sun on Friday, and followed that up with an 8 point, 12 rebound effort against the Aces on Sunday, logging more than 30 minutes of playing time in each of those games.
Ideally, the 6'7" center will be able to round out the season with a few more performances like that alongside her former SEC rival Reese. If that happens, things should open up for Banham, Evans, and the rest of the team's sharpshooters and the Sky should find themselves in the playoffs. The team may be in a bit of a reset phase, but they certainly have enough talent on the roster to qualify for -- and advance in -- this year's playoffs.
Teresa Weatherspoon needs to lean on Brianna Turner a little more
Chicago's two frontcourt lottery picks will need some help from the team's veterans if Teresa Weatherspoon's squad is going to make the playoffs, let alone advance past the first round. Brianna Turner was brought in last off-season for her defense and not her scoring, but she is contributing less than a point per game on the offensive end.
Turner has been in Weatherspoon's doghouse for much of the season and has been relegated to the bench in nine games since June 1. She's averaging under six minutes per game, and hasn't seen double-digit minutes in a game since May.
Getting Turner closer to her career averages of 25.1 minutes, 4.7 points, and 6.4 rebounds per game would take some pressure off of Cardoso and Reese, and help create open looks for the Sky's outside shooters. Her five years of experience could be a big help to her rookie frontcourt mates, and regular minutes might help Turner get back to the form that earned her spots on the All-WNBA first team and All-WNBA defensive team in 2020.