Rebounding was a predictable problem for the Sky, given how guard-heavy their roster is, and it has hurt them recently. The Sky entered their game Friday against the Lynx ranked last in the WNBA in defensive rebounding percentage.
Practice and film sessions this past week focused on cleaning it up.
While being undersized contributes, the Sky have struggled even when using their two-big lineup. Players have been adamant that effort and attention to detail are the biggest factors.
‘‘Rebound is heart and hustle,’’ forward Azura Stevens said last week. ‘‘There’s not a lot of technique to it. You’ve got to hit somebody and keep a body on them.’’
The Sky got strong rebounding performances from guards Skylar Diggins and Natasha Cloud to start the season. More of that will help.
They also signed rookie Saylor Poffenbarger to a hardship contract, in part to address the problem. She averaged 6.3 rebounds during her college career, with stops at UConn, Arkansas and Maryland.
‘‘That’s kind of what I pride myself in: playing really hard, getting extra possessions, rebounding, playing fast,’’ Poffenbarger said after shootaround Friday.
Poffenbarger went undrafted but signed a training-camp contract with the Lynx. When she didn’t make their roster, she went back home to train in Maryland.
She still is adjusting to how fast the league moves. The Sky reached out to her Tuesday evening, and she suited up against the Tempo the next day.
‘‘To be on a roster in the ‘W’ is difficult, so just embracing this, coming in and just playing really hard,’’ Poffenbarger said.
Missing the rook
Rookie Gabriela Jaquez missed her second consecutive game with a knee injury, but she was able to participate in parts of shootaround, coach Tyler Marsh said.
Jaquez, the No. 5 pick in the draft last month, injured her left knee May 17 against the Lynx. She is averaging 11.5 points and 5.3 rebounds so far — a strong stat line for a rookie. Her rebounding average leads all rookies, and her scoring average is sixth.
‘‘I think the hardest part for me is to just go from one season to the next really quick,’’ Jaquez said after practice Monday. ‘‘It’s just a lot of games. . . . I love playing basketball, so it’s fun for me, but I’m also big on taking breaks in the offseason. Like, having a couple of weeks off to just not touch a basketball.’’
Jaquez had exactly 14 days from winning the national championship with UCLA to the start of Sky training camp.
And she was handed a heavy load immediately. Her 28.3 minutes per game ranks second among rookies.
She will be reevaluated early next week, a team source said.
Out of shape
Lynx coach Cheryl Reeve had a theory about why there have been so many injuries leaguewide: Protracted negotiations on a new collective-bargaining agreement delayed the typical free-agency and offseason calendar for players.
‘‘It’s not all the injuries, of course, but we didn’t have players that were in great shape, so it’s hard to all of a sudden ramp up,’’ she said. ‘‘I think it had a little something to do with it.’’
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