Close, but not quite. That about sums up the Sky right now.
They’ve played well against playoff-caliber teams in their last two games but lost both in the final minutes. Their injured players, Courtney Vandersloot and DiJonai Carrington, are making progress but still don’t have specific timelines to return.
Vandersloot is the closest, now practicing at full speed again. But she still won’t be available this week against the Liberty and Wings.
“I got a little bit of muscle to build still,” Vandersloot told the Sun-Times.
She’s working to close the gap between her left and right knee. After a year of rehab, she’s being careful not to rush the final step.
It’s the smart move. But for a team that has lost seven of its last eight and is fighting not to let the season slip away, the waiting is painful.
Cruel, even.
Vandersloot is right there. She’s impressing everyone in practice and is convinced she can bring comfort and structure to the offense as soon as she returns.
“That’s where my strength is,” Vandersloot said. “Getting the offense to flow and run well. I can get people the shots that they’re used to getting. But I think the biggest thing is the leadership out there. People feel comfortable when I’m on the floor with them. I’m hoping that helps us a little bit in certain moments.”
From the sideline, Vandersloot sees some momentum building in team’s most recent performances against the Dream and Fever.
“We’re responding well,” Vandersloot said. “We’re sticking together, making our own runs. We have certain lapses at times where we can’t make a shot or whatever it may be, and we don’t just quit. We keep fighting. I think that’s been the biggest difference in the last couple games.
“The offense is flowing a little bit better. In my opinion, when that’s clicking, all of a sudden it becomes a little bit easier to defend. Coaches will say the opposite, but that’s how I see the game.”
The Sky’s offense ranks 13th out of 15 teams this season. But over the last two games, that’s jumped to 8th.
It’s amazing what hitting shots will do.
Coach Tyler Marsh believes the Sky generate open looks as well as any team in the league. But the season has basically been an exercise in waiting for the shots to fall.
They’ve made fewer than 30% of their three-pointers in nine of 13 games.
They’ve shot 75% or worse from the free-throw line in more than half their games, a real shame for a team that takes the second-most attempts in the league.
“I think when you lose a couple games, that rim gets a little tighter,” Vandersloot said. “Even the best shooting teams go through times where you’re not making shots. That’s part of the game. For us, it’s just finding other ways to score when those nights are happening.”
Which makes it encouraging that, despite the last two losses, the shots have started to fall.
Point guard Skylar Diggins has hit six of her 10 attempts from deep in that span, including the three-pointer that sent the Fever game to overtime. The lid came off for rookie guard Sydney Taylor, too. Taylor, who leads the team in three-point attempts, went 4-for-7 against the Fever.
“Once we get that going, that kind of stuff is contagious,” Vandersloot said. “If you can get somebody that can start hitting some shots, that rim looks a little bit bigger.”
Maybe the Sky are on the cusp of a breakthrough. Or maybe they’ll just have to keep waiting.
