On the Beat With the Chicago Sky-6/28/17

After following the WNBA Chicago Sky and reporting here all season, I attended my first game yesterday. It was quite a game, too.

The Sky were 3-10 in 11th place (out of 12) and hosting the Indiana Fever, who were 6-7 in 7th place. The Sky were winless at home. Adding a bit of extra intrigue is that the Fever are coached by Pokey Chatman, the former GM and Coach of the Sky.

I arrived at the Allstate Arena about an hour before game time. I wanted to watch the pre-game routine of both teams and soak in the atmosphere. Before I made it to watch the players warm up, I was impressed to see thousands of youngsters entering the arena. I don’t ever recall seeing so many youngsters at any game.

The attendance was eventually announced as 10,197 and I am guessing the average age was below 20. The youthful audience would be lively and vocal all game. It made for a fun, raucous backdrop to the game.

I progressed to courtside to watch some action up close. I am always amazed at the speed and athleticism evident when that close. The translation is always lost a bit while watching on television. These women are elite athletes. Their moves are strong, fluid, fast and purposeful. There is no wasted nor labored motion.

By game time, the crowd had filled the lower bowl of the arena and their voices filled the air with excitement. A capacity crowd always adds to the fun, but seeing so many kids really was awesome.

The youthful exuberance of the crowd didn’t help the Sky as they got off to a slow start, falling behind 29-16. This had the look of a game that could quickly get away and become thrashing. The Sky suddenly came alive with an 11-0 run to cut the deficit to 2. Keeping up the pace, the Sky pulled ahead and lead 34-33 at half time.

This had become a real battle and the crowd was loving it. I must point out that these kids weren’t just at the game, looking for souvenirs or play time. These kids were glued to the action on the court. It was really quite a sight to see.

Unfortunately, while the second half kept up the excitement level, the Sky could not keep up with the Fever. The Sky trailed by 2 at the end of the 3rd qurter and eventually lost 82-75. The Sky did hang tough right to the end though. The Fever hit enough free throws to ice the win though.

The Sky remain winless at home, but the crowd roared with their appreciation of the effort. I, too, respected the tenacity of the team in coming back several times during the game. Despite the 7 point margin of victory, the win could have gone to the Sky with just a couple different outcomes on possessions by both teams. All due respect to the Fever though, as they did not let that happen.

The post-game media session was very interesting. Sky Coach Amber Stocks started by praising her team’s effort (and rightly so). She also discussed the rebounding dominance of the Sky (48-25), the 4th quarter play of the team and more. All of Stork’s thoughts can be found at Post-Game Media Session with Coach Amber Storks.

Guard Cappie Pondexter showed real maturity and team leadership with her remarks. Second on the team in minutes played with 30:02, Pondexter had 7 rebounds and 16 points. The media session started with Pondexter very quiet, but when she started to talk, it spoke volumes of her character.

Pondexter took it upon herself several times. She stated she needed to do more. When asked about the team attitude, she responded that they better be up if they are going to be with her. It wasn’t just player-speak either. Pondexter was stepping up and showing it was her team and that she needed to get more done. It was refreshing and inspiring. It’s the type of thing her teammates would appreciate and the fans would love. All of Pondexter’s remarks can be found at Post-Game Media Session with Cappie Pondexter.

Forward Jessica Breland, who led the Sky in minutes played with 30:16, discussed the rebounding dominance, too. Breland also lead the team in scoring with 22 points on 11-16 shooting. She also had 9 total rebounds (3 offensive and 6 defensive) to finish 1 rebound behind team leader Imani Boyette. Breland looked a bit like a weary warrior and with that type of effort and production, I understand why. Yet, she still faced the questions. Breland’s post-game thoughts can be found at Post-Game Media Session with Jessica Breland.

It would be easy to dismiss this as another loss, but that isn’t the full picture. God things are happening on and off the court with the Sky. A 48-25 rebound differential isn’t an accident. The Sky got 21 points on turnovers to the Fever’s 13.The shooting percentages were close (Fever 43.1, Sky 42.3). Unfortunately, the Fever hit on 46.7% of three pointers (7-15), while the Sky was only 1-8 (12.5%). Two three pointers either way would have made a huge difference.

The Sky now head to San Antonio for a Friday matchup with the winless Stars (0-14). It’s a game the Sky should win and a game they need to win. Nobody wants to be the first victim of the Stars.

Despite being 3-11 and mired in 11th place, the Sky have something good happening. The team shows stretches of solid (even excellent) play. A little more consistency is needed.

Perhaps more importantly, the Sky is building future fans (maybe even future players). The youth in the crowd certainly wanted to see the Sky win, but honestly, I think they were just in amazement at seeing the Sky play. In an age of so many distractions, it was unusual (and great) to see these kids focused on the game.

I really appreciate the hospitality of the Sky. It was my first time covering a WNBA game in person and it won’t be my last. It’s not just a writing duty, however. I have already organized a group of friends to attend a game in late July. Why not make a day of it and share the fun?!