May 3rd, 2017: Chicago at New York

Just the Facts, Ma’am: The Chicago Sky steadily built a second-half lead in their 86-75 win over the New York Liberty. Cappie Pondexter had 15 points to lead four Chicago players in double figures. Tina Charles had 14 to lead New York.

For disjointed play, wild passes, dubious footwork, not rebounding, carelessness, clever plans, and a good book, join your intrepid blogger after the jump.

Six hours of sleep, give or take, and here we go again. I probably could have slept another hour or two, but my alarm clock left around 8ish, and I didn’t dare let him let me sleep in. Last thing I’d need is to sleep until noon and miss the bus that I’ve already paid for.

I’m killing the next half hour or so at the Flushing library, recharging the tablet and typing this very prologue. I should probably be weirded out by the fact that the dude across from me just pulled out a bottle and chugged a gulp of something. I think it might be rum.

It’s cooler today. Good thing I’m already wearing my jersey.

I’m sure y’all were waiting with bated breath to find out whether my clipboard was located. It was. We’re all good. It’s now currently in my backpack with all its usual contents.

Well, that could have gone better. It could have been worse, to be sure, but that’s not a Chicago team we line up well against.

I married a very smart man, who suggested I call Mohegan directly to see if any comps were available, and lo and behold they were. Hurray for free stuff!

Chicago came off the court in a neat, orderly manner that made it easy on the two of us collecting autographs. New York came off neatly, too, but at the other end of the floor. If I’d known that was going to happen, I would have left my hat home.

The box score claims that Jessica Breland started. The box score lies. Breland didn’t start. She came off the bench and played more four than three this time out. Her three was well-timed. I just really love what she brings to the floor. I like what she brings off the floor, too; I was impressed with the headdress she made out of her towel and disappointed when she had to disassemble it to go back into the game. Cheyenne Parker brought good height off the bench, but I don’t remember precisely what she was doing with it. Amber Harris has good size, but you get the feeling sometimes she wishes she didn’t, that she’d rather be a smaller player and spend more time on the perimeter. There’s something about Shayla Cooper that sets my teeth on edge, and I don’t completely know what it is, but it makes it hard to write about her, and for that I’m sorry.

I don’t know if Chicago knows what they’re doing with Betnijah Laney. I think they want to convert her to three; I think it’s equally likely this project will fail. Rebekah Gardner hustled hard and had a really nice chasedown of a rebound. I don’t think she’ll make the roster, but she’s doing the important job of pushing the people who will. (I think that’s an underrated aspect of fringe players- they have to be willing to work harder than anyone else with less guarantee of a reward.) Makayla Epps was out of control. I don’t think Stocks trusts her- I mean, she is a rookie in her first couple of weeks of action, so that’s not inexplicable or inexcusable, but she’s going to need some time to adjust to the speed of the game. Tori Jankoska seemed more in her groove than she was the night before, getting the deep three looks and making good decisions on the baseline.

I think Tamera Young heard everyone coming for her roster spot and was like “LOL NO”. Maybe the jump shot is a preseason mirage, but if it is, it’s a convincing one. It’s not the most beautiful jump shot in the world- it’s still flat and her follow-through isn’t great- but it’s there. She had trouble with pass-catching, though. Imani Boyette got a lot of support from her teammates on the bench- more than anyone else, they were cheering for her every time she hit a shot or had a big block. Trying to pass over the top of her is not the greatest decision in the world. Stefanie Dolson seemed to let her emotions get to her at times. Either she’s gotten more physical or I’ve started noticing her being physical more, because in these two games she definitely looked like she’d been studying the Plenette Pierson Playbook. (That’s not necessarily a bad thing! It’s just a thing I as an opposing fan don’t like.) She still has the pretty jumper, though.

Cappie Pondexter’s been in the league a while. She’s been in the spotlight longer, between starring in the W and starring at Rutgers. You’d think enough young players coming up would have seen her play. You’d think coaches would know her. And yet she had plenty of space to put up that fallaway, off-one-leg jumper that she’s been doing for years. She had a solid game, though I don’t think I’d have her running point. (On the other hand, the options in that regard are rather limited for Chicago until playoffs are over in Turkey and wherever Quigley is.) Keisha Hampton has settled in well in Chicago. I think she might have found a home, or at least a place she can be a solid temp if roster constraints leave her the odd woman out. She brings size, but she also brings that DePaul shooting touch that I think Stocks likes.

I don’t think Chicago is going to go with the big lineup for very long during the regular season, but it’ll be a change of pace that other teams might have trouble with. Depending on suspensions and contract manipulation, they might have some real tough times making cuts.

I’m glad I don’t have to choose between Cierra Burdick and Nayo Raincock-Ekunwe, since I’m not any of the decision-makers for the Liberty. Cierra does a lot of good things on the floor, but she isn’t as strong and she has shown a tendency to commit stupid fouls. Nayo is stronger, but not as offensively polished, and she’s shown a tendency to assume that she’s playing for the Rangers, not the Liberty. Cross-checking people in the open floor is not legal. Kai James brought size, but she needed to go in stronger against the Chicago defense- I felt like she was shooting too soon and not comfortable with the contact she was taking. I think she’s serving as an adequate understudy, and a good target to practice passes on. Ivey Slaughter brought a lot of good energy, and in another year I think she’d make this roster, but she’s too far behind Cierra and Nayo to have a chance. Renee Bennett needs to watch her footwork- this wasn’t as good a game, or a matchup, for her. Nice kid, I’m sure, but not WNBA material.

I don’t know what Bill Laimbeer has seen in Ameryst Alston twice. I don’t know what he saw in her the first time. She brought nothing I could see on the court. Shacobia Barbee looked a little more confident than she did the previous night, but I still wasn’t impressed. Bria Hartley showed some promise at lead guard (even though I’m not a fan of the “lead guard” concept) and picked up a lot of loose balls. Lindsay Allen had a little bit better luck getting her shot to drop, but I don’t like what I’ve seen of her court vision (or lack thereof) and I’m not impressed with her decision-making. I know it takes time to develop that, but I don’t know if she’s going to develop it, or if she has the physical tools to compete while she’s doing so. She’s so small! Jacki Gemelos brought good shooting from beyond the arc. She might be too one-dimensional to keep, though.

Kia Vaughn did not fare well against the larger defense of Chicago. Drawing the defense like they are moths and you are one big honkin’ flame only works if you can either pass out of it successfully or fight through the contact. She didn’t do either. She didn’t make smart decisions with the ball. Tina Charles showed her offensive firepower, but either she doesn’t care about the preseason or she’s under orders not to care about the preseason, because if she’s still standing and watching rebounds on Sunday, I’m going to say a few things that I probably shouldn’t say in front of children in a small gym. Rebecca Allen looked to have gotten her feet back under her, fitting back into the offense. She had issues with passes, both sending and receiving, but I’m loving the shot-blocking she brings.

Brittany Boyd was solid, though she committed stupid fouls- no need to ride Cappie Pondexter in the backcourt. She fits the system better, though I recognize she has the advantage of experience. Sugar Rodgers was feeling her shot, both in the good way by hitting them at opportune times, and in the bad way by stopping and popping with no rebounders ready to recover. That’s an old Sugar move, and one I’d like to see a little less of. But she wasn’t really being tested in this game either; between the oddities of Chicago’s lineup and Bill’s propensity to back off the gas in the preseason, she wasn’t needed. She did the thing she’s best at, and that’s all that seemed to be asked of her.

We’ve got to do better on switching on defense. The offense seems to be running at a higher pace than last year, and it’ll be fun when everyone’s back.