Coach Tyler Marsh reached back in his player-development bag after shootaround, working out with forward Azurá Stevens.
The Sky signed Stevens to an expensive three-year deal to help space the floor around young center Kamilla Cardoso. So far, that part hasn’t clicked. Stevens has made only six of her first 40 three-point attempts since returning from injury.
“I’ve been working on trying to get more reps and seeing the ball go through,” Stevens told the Sun-Times earlier this week. “Just remembering that I can shoot. It’s hard when you don’t have shots going in. It’s really frustrating.”
Marsh was a player-development specialist on Becky Hammon’s staff in Las Vegas before coming to Chicago. He tinkered with Aces guard Jackie Young’s three-point shot, helping to fuel her breakout from beyond the arc.
After the Sky’s win against the Fire, Marsh noticed a few small things with Stevens, including her footwork, that he wanted to address.
“We don’t want her confidence to waver,” Marsh said. “I think she’s been turning down some open ones, and she’s missed some open ones. But we don’t want that to discourage her.
“Obviously, in this world, being a head coach, it’s a little bit harder to find individual time to be on the floor, especially in season, so you try to pick and choose and find the moments for it.”
It isn’t just Marsh, either. General manager Jeff Pagliocca, formerly a skills trainer, served up passes to Stevens after shootaround in Connecticut. The two have been discussing different things for her to focus on when she gets open.
Stevens has been improving in other areas. After a slow start on the glass, she is averaging eight rebounds over the last five games. She also is developing a nice high-low connection with Cardoso and averaging 3.2 assists in that span.
But the shooting remains the key. Stevens isn’t alone in her struggles. After a brief hot stretch spearheaded by Skylar Diggins and Sydney Taylor, the Sky have fallen back to a league-worst 23.6% from three-point range over their last three games.
Not-free throws
Shooting troubles have followed the Sky to the free-throw line.
Backup center Elizabeth Williams is shooting 37% from the line, worst in the league among qualifying players. Her form has a hitch: She rises onto her tiptoes, pauses, then releases while coming back down.
Williams told the Sun-Times on Wednesday that she is trying to adjust her process this season. She removed the dribble from her routine to create more fluidity.
“I’ve had different coaches try to modify [my free throws], but I think now it’s just getting it right,” Williams said. “Once I get it right, then the numbers will reflect that.”
As a team, the Sky shoot only 75% from the line, which has cost them games. But unlike some of their other problems, this one should be fixable.
Go big or go home
The Sky will close their homestand against the Aces on Sunday afternoon at the United Center, their first of two games there this season.
The move is part of a larger WNBA trend: Teams that usually play in small or mid-sized arenas are moving select games into larger buildings. The Sky sold out both games at the United Center last season.
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