Sky @ Fever - 5/19/18

[Shades]

Indianapolis, IN - 1:00 PM ET
TV: NBA TV, WNDY

Video:
WNBA League Pass

Game page:
05/19/18: Chicago Sky @ Indiana Fever - WNBA.com - Official Site of the WNBA

ESPN Gamecast:
WNBA CHIvIND,5/19/2018 - ESPN

 

[SCspur]

Interested to see how DeShields, Williams, and Coates all do in their debuts. This game will likely be close but I’m going with the Sky for the win.

 

[Shades]

DeShields just joined the team a day or 2 ago.

 

[eebmg]

Tamika Catchings and her booth mate will provide a very strong home team spin on everything. The best part or ESPN broadcasting is that there is hope of balance. Lets go Gabby and Stephanie..

 

[stwainfan]

DeShields threw out the first pitch. At the White Sox game yesterday. Gabby was there also.

 

[Shades]

 

[j66kicker]

Gabby and Diamond both started today. Gabby with no points + 2 rebounds in 13 minutes so far as the Sky lead 34-30 early in Q2

 

[stwainfan]

Will Tiffany Mitchell average 20+ shots a game?

 

[eebmg]

Gabby get's her first basket of a beautiful Stephanie pass.
She has had a rough game but she seems to be getting a little more acclimated with a few steals and rebounds.

 

[Shades]

Gabby Williams shot chart

 

[EricLA]

It was a fun game to watch. I think the Sky will be good this year. The announcers were obviously very pro-Indiana (at the end of the game, one said "Indiana is one of those teams who will get MUCH better as the season goes on because they have so many new parts")... Um... Chicago starts 2 rookies. Plus their starting PG hasn't even joined the team yet.

 

[Shades]

It was a fun game to watch. I think the Sky will be good this year.

Let's see how good they look against the better teams. I think they'll be returning to the lottery.

 

[Striper69]

Nice game today. I think the Sky will be one of my faves to watch this year.

 

[eebmg]

DeShields just joined the team a day or 2 ago.

DeShields looked very good and under control. I was impressed. She is offensively gifted and as far as I can see, can hold her own defensively. Her professional experience gives her a little heads up. Whether Chicago is good enough to make the playoffs, I dont know but they are a nice team to watch with very good passing. Gabby will catch on in this environment since she cuts so well and Dolson and Vandersloot will find her but she needs to have confidence in a 15 footer. She will not be able to drive from the foul-line from a dead stop like she could do in college. Defensively, I think she was way to sped up in the first half but looked better and more connected to her teammates in the second half.

On the Fever side, Kelsey Mitchell must learn that there is another option then a crazy drive to the basket or a 35 footer with 15 seconds left on the shot clock and for the life of me, I could not understand why Vivians played only 5 minutes. She looked pretty good to me burying her first 3pt shot from the corner and was competitive on the boards. 2 def rebounds and an assist with no turnovers.

 

[j66kicker]

It was a fun game to watch. I think the Sky will be good this year. The announcers were obviously very pro-Indiana (at the end of the game, one said "Indiana is one of those teams who will get MUCH better as the season goes on because they have so many new parts")... Um... Chicago starts 2 rookies. Plus their starting PG hasn't even joined the team yet.

That was Tamika Catchings. I'm pretty sure NBA TV just picked up the homer broadcast feed.

 

[eebmg]

That was Tamika Catchings. I'm pretty sure NBA TV just picked up the homer broadcast feed.

I forgot how much I like Tamika Catchings as an announcer. A bit of a homer which is understandable and her optimism about the fever is pure saccharine but she is all basketball. She knows her stuff and is very informative.

 

[Striper69]

DeShields looked very good and under control. I was impressed. She is offensively gifted and as far as I can see, can hold her own defensively. Her professional experience gives her a little heads up. Whether Chicago is good enough to make the playoffs, I dont know but they are a nice team to watch with very good passing. Gabby will catch on in this environment since she cuts so well and Dolson and Vandersloot will find her but she needs to have confidence in a 15 footer. She will not be able to drive from the foul-line from a dead stop like she could do in college. Defensively, I think she was way to sped up in the first half but looked better and more connected to her teammates in the second half.

On the Fever side, Kelsey Mitchell must learn that there is another option then a crazy drive to the basket or a 35 footer with 15 seconds left on the shot clock and for the life of me, I could not understand why Vivians played only 5 minutes. She looked pretty good to me burying her first 3pt shot from the corner and was competitive on the boards. 2 def rebounds and an assist with no turnovers.

Yeah, Gabby will have to adjust to playing against athletes who are just as elite as she is. It'll be interesting to see how she does against Griner, Cambage and Fowles et al...

 

[shizam]

Tamika Catchings and her booth mate will provide a very strong home team spin on everything. The best part or ESPN broadcasting is that there is hope of balance. Lets go Gabby and Stephanie..

I like Tamika Catchings. Great player and I guess pretty good analyst. Not great though.

 

[shizam]

Will Tiffany Mitchell average 20+ shots a game?

Indiana is toast. Of the four teams who have played so far, the Wings, Mercury, Sky and Fever all have better rosters than last year. Briann January was a disaster in Indiana last year and looked finished but MIGHT rejuvenate her career for another year or two with the Mercury. With Bonner back and DIANA fresh, Griner improving and Gulich they are better. Cambage makes the Wings better though Diggens can’t shoot but she is a good player. Cambage can’t jump but what a passer.
How can Seattle win with Clark and Paris? Unless Canada is a monster they’ll be .500. Bird has not been on a winning team for the last 6 years. Stewart and KML have never played on a winning team since UConn.

 

[Shades]

Shenise Johnson will return to the Fever lineup sometime this season. She’s rehabbing from an ACL from last July.

 

[shizam]

Shenise Johnson will return to the Fever lineup sometime this season. She’s rehabbing from an ACL from last July.

Good point she should help. Saw her introduced as a reserve.

 

[Big Bones]

How can Seattle win with Clark and Paris? Unless Canada is a monster they’ll be .500. Bird has not been on a winning team for the last 6 years. Stewart and KML have never played on a winning team since UConn.

Seattle's replaced non-producing role players with players who will/should perform.

Paris,Howard,Canada IN...Swords,Tokashiki,Peterson OUT.

More depth should equal more wins.

 

[MilfordHusky]

Yeah, Gabby will have to adjust to playing against athletes who are just as elite as she is. It'll be interesting to see how she does against Griner, Cambage and Fowles et al...

In my opinion, not as elite, but the gap is smaller. And the opponents are more experienced basketball players. But Gabby will find a way to excel eventually.

 

[Shorty Dee]

I was so happy Gabby made the scoreboard. Stephanie Dolson had a good game. I was glad Chicago Sky was able to pull away from Indiana Fever for the win.

 

[shizam]

Seattle's replaced non-producing role players with players who will/should perform.

Paris,Howard,Canada IN...Swords,Tokashiki,Peterson OUT.

More depth should equal more wins.

I think you are right when you put it that way. That’s a great trade off.