Sky face first true playoff-caliber test against Valkyries
SAN FRANCISCO — Beating the Fire in their regular-season opener Saturday was a good sign for the Sky.
Sure, the Fire are an expansion franchise that won’t sniff the playoffs this season, but you don’t scoff at any victories if you’re the Sky. Not when you scraped together only 10 of them last season. Not when four of your top eight players were watching in street clothes.
You can earn a few stripes beating a bad team while short-handed, but you really earn your credentials by beating good teams.
The Sky will get their shot Wednesday night against the Valkyries. Another sell-out crowd. Another hostile environment. The first real chance to prove they belong in the playoff conversation.
But there’s plenty to worry about till then.
The second half against the Fire offered a few warning signs. Shooters left wide-open in transition. Point guards dribbling the length of the court without anyone stepping up to stop them.
At practice Monday, coach Tyler Marsh called it ‘‘coverage slippage’’ that needed to be cleaned up.
It will need to be squeaky clean against the Valkyries, who are well-coached, on a mission and dangerous at every position. Their backup center, Janelle Salaun, makes it rain from three-point range in ways most Sky starters don’t. Guards Veronica Burton and Gabby Williams make a living by getting into the paint.
‘‘A lot of their offense is based on engaging two,’’ Sky guard Natasha Cloud told the Sun-Times. ‘‘Coming off ball screens [and] engaging two defenders, and they’re really great at [making the extra pass]. As much as we can, we’ve got to guard our yard and take pride in our individual defense so that we’re not coming into our secondary and third level of help.’’
Having a versatile defender such as Cloud back certainly will help. But the Valkyries’ offense challenges the two weak points of the Sky’s defense last season: containing dribble penetration and defending the three-point arc. Time to show that this season is different.
Sky players and coaches keep pointing to the athleticism, quickness and length on the revamped roster as reasons to believe they can be better defensively. Those are solid ingredients, but they won’t come together without a recipe. Does Marsh have one?
Wednesday will give us a clue.
For now, there’s enough from the Fire game for Marsh to feel good about.
The offense looked cohesive. The Skylar Diggins/Kamilla Cardoso pick-and-roll was cooking. And when the Sky looked as though they were about to throw away a lead — like they did so often last season — they said, ‘‘No, we’re not doing that. Not this time.’’
This season, they have Diggins’ leadership to fall back on, someone to step up and make a big three-pointer — not even her specialty — in the fourth quarter, then throw her head back, stick her tongue out and let the crowd know the party is over.
The Sky also got a clutch performance from veteran center Elizabeth Williams, who came off the bench to deliver blocks and buckets when it mattered most.
Those are foundational elements to build on.
‘‘We’ve got to come with the same level of focus and be able to clean up the areas that we need to but also stay true to the things that we did well coming out of Portland,’’ Marsh said.
Clean it up and stay true. The Valkyries are waiting.
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