Sky still ironing out details in preseason loss to Mercury
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Sky coach Tyler Marsh wanted the emphasis on ball movement and player movement in the team’s first preseason game Saturday against the Mercury, and it looked OK in the first quarter.
The Sky’s most most consistent action early was finding center Kamilla Cardoso off slips, but much of their scoring in the quarter came in isolation, particularly from forward Rickea Jackson.
The movement improved in the second quarter, and the Sky found guard Rachel Banham for three open three-pointers
‘‘At times, we did get stagnant,’’ Banham said after the Sky's 108-104 loss. ‘‘We’re still figuring out how we’re going to move together and move the ball.’’
One thing the game foreshadowed was that three-point volume might be an issue for the Sky’s offense. It’s hard to create movement if defenses don’t have to respect the three-point line. The Sky shot only 16 threes to the Mercury’s 34.
They always can count on Banham for the three-ball, but the Sky’s offseason was more oriented around adding players who can get to the rim, such as Jackson and point guard Skylar Diggins, rather than volume shooters.
Having stretch forward Azura Stevens, who is out with a knee injury, will help, but it likely won’t be enough to solve the issue fully.
On the defensive end, Marsh hasn’t yet laid out exactly the style he wants the Sky to play, and the game didn’t make it clear, either. They gave up more than 50 points in the first half — and 19 alone to Mercury wing Kahleah Copper.
To be fair, defense didn’t seem to be anyone’s priority.
Strong showing by Van Lith
Both teams sat their starters in the second half, giving minutes to players fighting for final roster spots instead. Sky combo guard Hailey Van Lith got plenty of reps with that group. She scored 20 points on 8-for-8 shooting, with her mid-range shot looking lethal.
‘‘My first stint out there, I just wanted to get my legs under me, run up and down and feel the physicality,’’ Van Lith said after the game. ‘‘Then I was looking for the mid-range the second time. Watching Skylar pick them apart in the mid-range in the first half, I knew it would probably be there for me, too.’’
She spent the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury that hampered her as a rookie last season.
‘‘I’ve worked hard at things I need to get better at to play more in control and make better reads,’’ Van Lith said.
Why Sioux Falls?
Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts grew up in South Dakota and coached in the G League for the Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Their arena has looked to recruit more high-profile games, so it reached out to Tibbetts.
‘‘It’s been really fun for my wife, Lindsay, and me,’’ Tibbetts said before the game. ‘‘We’ve bounced around so much chasing the game of basketball from team to team, city to city. To come home and have people put their arm around you and say they’re proud of you, it’s pretty cool.’’
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