2023 Chicago Sky Notebook, Volume 1: The End of the James Wade Era
Unpacking a busy week in Chicago both on and off the court
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This past week has been a busy one for the Chicago Sky. Last Wednesday, the team snapped its six-game losing streak by defeating Los Angeles 80-63. They beat the Sparks again Friday night 86-78, but the real news came Saturday afternoon when the team announced head coach and general manager James Wade would leave the Sky to serve as an assistant coach for NBA’s Toronto Raptors.
“This group a lot of us are here as free agents because of James, and that’s the reality,” Sky forward Elizabeth Williams said after Sunday’s contest. “But at the same time, we’re extremely happy for him. This is an opportunity you can’t pass up.”
After ending its longest losing streak since a seven-game skid in 2021, Chicago looked like a new team against Los Angeles. The question now is can they continue their upward trajectory without Wade?
The future of the season looked bright Sunday afternoon as Sky players showered interim coach Emre Vatansever with water after pulling out an 89-87 win against Indiana.
More on Wade’s departure
After four seasons as the Sky’s head coach and general manager and ten years in the WNBA, James Wade is making the move to the NBA to serve as an assistant coach to Darko Rajaković.
Wade is now the second WNBA coach to depart their team this season after the Phoenix Mercury fired head coach Vanessa Nygaard last week. While Nygaard’s departure was expected considering the Mercury’s 2-10 start, Wade’s choice to leave Chicago mid-season came as a shock to many.
The players found out Saturday, the same day the Sky released the news to the public, but Alanna Smith said on Sunday there was “a vibe maybe” that a big decision was happening.
While with Chicago, Wade helped the team win its first championship in 2021 and also picked up personal accolades as Coach of the Year in 2019 and Executive of the Year in 2022.
Assistant coach Emre Vatansever, who joined the Sky staff in 2017, is taking his place as both interim head coach and general manager. Vatansever also served as head coach of Cukurova Basketbol in Turkey, his home country for part of the 2022 season.
“I would like to thank the Sky organization for entrusting me to take over the reins and this team. I’m aware of the enormity of the opportunity,” Vatansever said in the pregame press conference on Sunday. “I’m ready, I’m prepared and excited with along my staff, my incredible staff to lead these incredible women.”
Chicago All-Star
While no Chicago Sky players were voted as 2023 All-Star starters, Kahleah Copper was named as a reserve on July 1 as voted by the WNBA coaches. This is Copper’s third All-Star nod since joining the league in 2016. The All-Star game will take place on July 15 with Las Vegas’s A’ja Wilson and the Liberty’s Breanna Stewart as team captains for the second year in a row.
Courtney Williams is on point
When Courtney Vandersloot departed Chicago and signed with the New York Liberty in free agency, it was clear whoever replaced her would have big shoes to fill. Vandersloot is currently the team’s all-time assist leader with 2,387 during her 11 seasons with the Sky.
Former coach and general manager James Wade signed Connecticut Sun shooting guard Courtney Williams to help fill the gap Vandersloot left in Chicago’s backcourt. And while Williams did not have much experience running point, she’s embraced her new role on the Sky as evidenced by her three standout performances this week.
Wednesday afternoon, Williams led her team in scoring with 21 points, adding nine rebounds and two assists to aid the Sky in ending their six-game downward spiral. Friday, Williams became the 12th player in WNBA history to record a triple-double with 12 points, 11 rebounds and 13 assists.
“She makes plays for her teammates and she’s looking to make them comfortable while also at the same time trying to get herself going,” Wade said after Friday’s game. He added that Williams is the strongest guard rebounder in the league.
But Williams didn’t stop there. In Sunday’s game when the Sky needed to rely on their veterans with a new coach at the helm, she stepped up big time. Williams finished with 28 points, 8 assists and 5 rebounds while shooting 70% from the field, her third game in a row with a standout performance.
“Getting comfortable in the point guard position, I’ve been in my bag, so I’m feeling good,” Williams said.
New additions making their mark
With Kahleah Copper as the only returning starter from the 2022 team, Chicago made big moves in the offseason, trading for Marina Mabrey and signing Courtney Williams, Elizabeth Williams and Isabelle Harrison. Former coach James Wade also picked up Morgan Bertsch and Robyn Parks, rookies with experience from playing overseas.
As we approach the halfway point of the 2023 season, we’re looking at how the new pieces have contributed to the Sky.
Mabrey, whom Chicago received from Dallas in a trade involving a third of the league’s teams, is continuing to shoot her shot with her new team. She’s improved her scoring average by two points, sitting at 18th in the league with 15.9 points per game, and is in the top 15 players for 3-pointers made and attempted per game.
Mabrey has scored 10 or more points in 11 of the 14 games she’s played this season and set a career-high with 36 points against the Indiana Fever on June 15.
The one major downside to Mabrey’s game is her penchant for turnovers; she’s in the bottom 8% in the league with 2.7 turnovers per game according to Her Hoop Stats.
In the frontcourt, Alanna Smith and Elizabeth Williams replaced Candace Parker and Emma Meesseman as starters. Smith, who only started one game in her four-season career before joining the Sky, has taken huge strides with her increase in minutes.
For the first time in her career, Smith is averaging double-digit points with 10.2 per game. according to Her Hoop Stats. Her offensive rating has soared as well, from 87.9 in 2022 to 110.9 this season. On the other end of the court, Smith has a 95.7 individual defensive rating, No. 20 in the league, and is fifth in the league with 1.5 blocks per game and 17th with 6.7 rebounds per game.
Elizabeth Williams is averaging her most points per game since 2020 with 8.9 points. On Sunday, she scored 17 points, her highest since the first game of the 2020 season.
The team’s other frontcourt addition, Isabelle Harrison, is still out with a knee injury, but fans received a promising sign when she posted a video of herself ditching her crutches on June 16.
Looking ahead
Chicago has three games left before the All-Star break and each will be a test. The Sky have two games against Atlanta, who beat them 83-65 on May 30. Next up will be the 12-5 Connecticut Sun, who delivered the Sky their worst loss this season.
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