On the Beat With the Chicago Sky-7/17/17

It took 2 overtime periods, but the WNBA Chicago Sky finally lost. They had been on a 3 game winning streak. Despite the loss, things are trending up!

The Sky stand at 6-13 in 11th place (out of 12). They have created a little space between them and the last place San Antonio Sky, who are 2-17. If they can put together another similar win streak, they could find themselves in the middle of the pack in the WNBA.

I had the pleasure of attending last Wednesday’s game, which was the middle win of their streak. I wrote about it On the Beat With the Chicago Sky. I also was part of the post-game media session, which is on the Johngy’s Beat Chicago Sky playlist on YouTube.

It was a fantastic experience as always.. It was even better, because I see the team improving. It isn’t just my eyes either. The stats tell some of the story, too.

The Sky rank 3rd in Field Goals Made, 5th in Field Goal Percentage, 8th in 3 Point Attempts, 5th in 3 Point Percentage, 12th in Free Throws Made, 10th in Free Throw Percentage, 2nd in Defensive Rebounds, 3rd in Total Rebounds, 2nd in Assists, 12th in Steals, 1st in Blocked Shots and 8th in Points. Those stats aren’t great, but they are much improved over the last time I recapped the stats here. They are also much better than a 5-13 team would indicate.

With 19 games played, the Sky are passed the halfway point in the 34 game season. The top 8 teams make the playoffs regardless of the conference alignment. In 11th place, the Sky are only 3 games behind that last playoff spot. Those 3 games and the three other teams involved are a pretty big obstacle, but certainly not an insurmountable one.

The Minnesota Lynx (15-2) are in 1st and are clearly the best team right now. One step down are the Los Angeles Sparks (13-5). The Connecticut Sun (12-8), Phoenix Mercury (11-8) and Washington Mystics (11-9) are in the next group. Only 3 games separate 6th place New York Liberty from the 11th place Sky. That means 6 teams are really in the fight for the final 3 playoff spots. Of course, the Sky must keep up the level of play from the last several games to stay in the race, but there’s every reason to believe they will.

Statistics aside, Sky games are a fun experience. I checked out a Sky game years ago on television and have casually followed them since. That’s entertaining, but nothing like seeing the Sky in person. I wanted to attend a Sky game as something new to experience. I honestly did not expect to enjoy it as much as I did. I knew these ladies were elite athletes and all of that, but I have come away impressed with their passion for the game, their respect for the fans and their commitment to the future of the sport.

Coach Amber Stocks has impressed me most in the post-game media sessions. Composed and relaxed, she is positive and honest in addressing the media and our questions. She defends her team without being an apologist. She seems the type of coach players would love. She’s a great fit for this team.

The Sky’s next game is Tuesday in Seattle, against the 8th place Storm (9-10) and it is on ESPN2. Their next home game is Friday, July 28 against the Phoenix Mercury. It’s midseason and the Sky is heating up.