NFL
By: Stephen PridGeon-Garner
The Chicago Sky now find themselves back knotted in this semi-finals series with the Connecticut Sun, one that hasn’t fallen short on the entertainment value.
Both teams give each other fits with their contrasting styles of play, as, especially during the postseason, the “styles make fights” idiom rings equally loud and true with this series proving as the most recent example of just that.
Both teams have gone back and forth imposing their will, via dictating the rhythm and flow (or lack thereof in moments) on the other, and it has been an impressive chess match of sorts with tactics.
Even more, both teams have battled in a bruising fashion in the paint with numerous stoppages in play as players collect themselves from the ground after physical play near the rim, scrapping for loose balls, and general jockeying for position.
Simply put, it’s been a playoff series. Very much been a blue collar one, at that.
After back-to-back wins following a loss in game one at home, the Sky would fall 104-80 on Tuesday, and will now circle the wagons to return to Wintrust for a “winner takes all” game five, with a trip to the Finals on the line.
The Sun have continued to much the series up in a fashion that’s taken a physical toll on the Sky collectively, and though they’re certainly built for the challenge, it’s been clear that this has served as a test of physical and mental fitness as well as competitive stamina.
The likes of Alyssa Thomas (a treasure to the basketball world), 2021 MVP Jonquel Jones, 2x champion DeWanna Bonner, and the frenetic Courtney Williams, coached by basketball savant Curt Miller, are unsurprisingly not going down without a fight, and they’re sure to bring it again in game five as they attempts to find atonement in finally A.) Getting over the proverbial hump that the Chicago’s Sky have been for them, and B.) Get over the playoff woes that have seen them continuously fall just short of the Finals and/or a championship in Miller’s stint on their sideline.
With a picture painted of the series and the stage set for game five, let’s dive into some of the entities of the game I’ll be watching for, for the Sky, in game five.
Defense
On this end is typically where the Sky dictate the most. They have as much scheme versatility as any team in the W, and the requisite lineup versatility that enables them to play a dictating style for the entire 40 minutes.
It becomes tougher to execute as gameplanning and gamesmanship grows over the course of a series, so the test within the test becomes discipline and will.
The Sky lacked some of their typical discipline in game four, along with energy and attention to detail in a sustained variety. They didn’t have the ball containment or pressure on it, so they then lacked the subsequent feel that they typically display.
They’re at their best when players are “in their opponents jersey,” and we see it as the ball swings around the floor.
Even more, when we see that specific connectivity and activity early on through the first timeout, that’s usually an early tell-tell sign of the frequency their humming at on that end of the floor.
They’ll often force a few early turnovers, enabling them to play in space or with pace in flow, and get out to a commanding early lead (see game two of this series or vs NYL).
Dictating early on the defensive end will be mandatory.
Forcing Turnovers
This specific element of the series is one that has to be ever-present for the Sky, because it’s inevitable that the Sun will win the battle on the boards.
Mitigating their offensive rebounding percentage as much as possible, to keep them from that 30% mark that Curt Miller and company aim for, is important. The most effective counter to off-setting that dynamic is to simply limit their possessions.
The Sky can do so by dictating with their defense, in an on-brand fashion. Having that specific entity of the game, starting with an aggressive Courtney Vandersloot at the point of attack, then trickling down into Candace Parker/Emma Meesseman/Azurá Stevens’ engagement and activity at the point of screens, and the requisite activity on the wings from Kahleah Copper, Allie Quigley, and Rebekah Gardner, will be imperative.
The link above spoke to an entity (aside from increased energy) that put them back in a position of dictating defensively vs the Liberty, and also countered how the Liberty went about navigating their aggressive schemes by taking away what they were comfortable doing and saw as automatics to navigate their traps.
I’ve spoken to the Sky and both their lineup and scheme versatility at nauseum this season, and the only reasons you deploy an aggressive schemes is to send teams off-script, make them play in read and react or, “forcing them to live your reality,” as Emma Meesseman told Nuts and Bolts Sports.
The scheme simply puts the Sky in positions, via manipulation of the opponent, to then take away or anticipate the next action or decision, and make the plays needed to garner extra possessions and control pace. Whether that comes via tipped passes, passing lanes being jumped, or on-ball steals, that activity, in enabling them to change ends and garner pace as they please, is mandatory.
They need their signature frenetic defensive energy in controlled chaos to resurface.
When you are aggressive on the ball, and bring an extra body in doing so, it’s imperative that the rotations behind that are on schedule, because, when they aren’t, the opponent is able to play 4v3 advantage basketball in space as the defense is scrambling.
Like here:
Taking away or jumping *this* specific pass (to the other frontcourt piece that flashes for the pass, or from the screener on the pop – both of which are known as the release valve or connector) is key because this player is able to increase the advantage, and it’s the easiest pass to make.
Pre-rotating up top when the screens coming (as the other Sky frontcourt piece does to take on the roll) is imprerstive also because forcing the long range pass buys time to rotate out of the double, as well as it opens opportunity for takeaways.
Like here:
Or here:
It’s an adjustment they made against New York, and I expect them to respond in finishing this one the way they did in that series.
Looking back at what was mentioned earlier, specifically about defense, containing the ball is imperative, as they guard is usually best-positioned to block the vision for the pass to the release.
If they can consistently nail this rotation, as they did in the clips above both off-ball and on-ball, that’s a big-time outlet for them to dictate from, on top of the other entities of their defense in individual activity in reading and reacting.
If the trend from the last two games holds true, these defensive rotations will come when it’s Meesseman or Stevens involved in pick and roll defensively, as Parkers spent a majority of the time in Connecticut playing drop coverage (with very good activity).
Courtney Vandersloot
Offensively, I’m watching Courtney Vandersloot. She’s done a solid job all series with operating out of the aggressive and suffocating defense of the Sun. It’s obvious she’s the player Curt Miller has told his team he does not want to beat them, and they’ve fared well in doing so. Her all-encompassing impact hasn’t been there, but her floor generalship in organization and management of flow have been there in the halfcourt.
She’s felt out the pressure from their defense and is now growing more comfortable with it and generating advantages. I look for her to pick the spots in which she needs to be the pressure point of the offense in scoring, and exploit said moments to the fullest.
Knowing she’s in the direct crosshares of their gameplan gives her the power to completely up-end their plan of attack and turn the series on its head in this all-important closeout match-up.
There have been opportunities for her in rejecting screens, as Thomas and even sometimes the Jones’ load up screen-side to show activity at the level. Rejecting gives her almost a direct line to the basket and, after the paint touch, should it draw two, there’s Copper from her hot spot, or Quigley, or Stevens who all are viable from the corners.
Vandersloots also found daylight a few times out of their “77” double drag action as well, both in transition as well as in the halfcourt, as the second screener’s defender has often been in a deep-ish drop.
I expect for her to be the driving force behind the Sky offensively in waning moments, getting paint and elbow touches to both score and facilitate off of advantages crested, as well as being active defensively on Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, putting her signature all-encompassing stamp on this one. All in alignment with upped aggression.
Sloots also seen succes meeting Alyssa Thomas’ hedging force with her own force in coming off screens with a plan to elude, like here:
You can see the defense shift as she eludes Thomas on the other side of the screen, and then the kick to an advantage as they maintain it.
Emma Meesseman
The level of activity and production from Emma Meesseman, in a manner unique to her, has been as effective as any new development for the Sky in this series, and will be all important as they look to close out the Sun.
Sound On
Quick pre-game film sesh highlighting Emma Meesseman's G3:
IQ
Looking at some of the things she does, things she did specific to G3, & why she's invaluable for the Sky pic.twitter.com/8nkjIxe1sj
— Stephen PridGeon
(@StayTrueSDot3) September 6, 2022
If she can sustain or even do more than she has over the last three games, that’ll be a massive entity in added value that the Sun will not have an answer for.
The stage is indeed set and there are no more guaranteed tomorrows. Chicago did not match the desperation of Connecticut in game four and the point differential entails that. A single game for a trip the 2022 WNBA Finals against the Las Vegas Aces is up for grabs.
This will be a fun one.
@StayTrueSdot3 
