Absurdities is a recurring series in which I feature things I find absurd.
Recently, social media was buzzing after the WNBA draft. Posts were made and shared about Kamilla Cardosa and Angel Reese selling more jerseys than the entire Dallas Cowboys team did last year. That's an amazing statistic for a women's sports league too often criticized, underrated and under-covered. It was also stated about highly-touted Caitlin Clark.
Unfortunately, it is not true. Never let a good story get in the way of facts, though.
According to Fanatics, producer and seller of jerseys, the report was "not true/inaccurate." It took me about 10 seconds on a Google search to find that.
Before I get backlash for being anti-WNBA or anti-women's sports, I am completely the opposite. I have probably been to more women's sports events than men's in my life. I do so as a writer, but I do so voluntarily.
Since I am pro-women's sports, why would I attack this claim? Blatant inaccuracies like these hinder women's sports more than help. Casual observers will applaud this "achievement," yet I doubt many will actually pay more attention to the WNBA. True fans will immediately know the claim is wrong. Then it puts other claims into question. Attendance numbers? TV ratings?
What is real. Maybe none of it matters anymore. Much like when wrong words (irregardless) are repeated enough, they become accepted as part of the language, even included in dictionaries, this claim has become fact. It might now be fact, but it isn't accurate.
Prior to their game against the Washington Mystics, the Chicago Sky held a media session featuring Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot. Much of the discussion focused on the All-Star game, the state of the team and the upcoming break for the Olympics, along with some other interesting topics.
Quigley started the session by talking about the All-Star game and her participation and preparation for the three-point contest. A two-time three-point champ (2017 and 2018), Quigley hasn't done much extra work, but is relying on her regular routine and overall skills.
The conversation turned to how she is feeling in her 14th year. Obviously, she isn't as at her peak like her younger days, but she feels great and is playing at a top level.
Quigley finished her session by talking about the upcoming break and the state of the team. The team will use this time to regroup a bit and focus on the final stretch into the playoffs.
Vandersloot stated by giving her definition of a truly great player. It's a bit ironic, because a great player herself, Vandersloot is much too humble to just describe herself. Instead, she gave a few qualities a great player should possess.
The conversation shifted to second half adjustments for the Sky and what she has learned about the team this season. As always, Vandersloot gave an insightful look at the team. She was fair in her assessment of the inconsistent play of the team this season, but their overall abilities. Echoing Quigley, Vandersloot talked about the tam using the break to refocus and get back on track as they make the push for the playoffs.
The session finished with Vandersloot making a case for Quigley as the Sixth Woman of the Year, an award Quigley has already won twice (2014 and 2015). Quigley's play merits consideration for the award. She also talked about the team supporting Quigley during the three-point contest. Quigley could be a three-time winner of that and the Sixth Woman award.
Unfortunately, the Sky dropped their night game to the Mystics 89-85 in overtime. The Sky finished the first part of the season at 10-10, good for a second place tie with the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference. The inconsistent Sky had both a winning and losing streak of seven games. They finished the first half losing three of four. They will return to action on Sunday, August 15 when they host the Seattle Storm.
The WNBA All-Star game takes place Wednesday, July 14 at 7 pm (EST). Team WNBA faces Team USA.The Sky will have three players, Kahleah Copper, Courtney Vandersloot and Candace Parker, playing for the WNBA All-Stars against Team USA. Allie Quigley will be one of four participants in the three-point contest. Connecticut's Jonquel Jones, Seattle's Jewell Loyd and New York's Sami Whitcomb are the other three vying for the title. Loyd and Jones are also in the AS game, while Whitcomb is viewed as one of the biggest oversights.
After beating the Dallas Wings 82-79 last night, the Chicago Sky stand at 4-1. That's good for 1st place in the Eastern Conference of the WNBA. On Thursday, the Sky play the Phoenix Mercury, who are 3-2.
I sat in on two recent Sky Zoom media sessions this week. Coach James Wade and players Azura Stevens, Kahleah Copper, Sydney Colson and Cheyenne Parker took turns meeting the press.
Coach "Coco" Wade played college ball at Middle Tennessee, Chattanooga State C.C.and Kennesaw State, but went undrafted by the NBA. He played 13 years professionally overseas and started coaching as an assistant with the San Antonio Spurs in 2012. He became an assistant with the WNBA Minnesota Lynx in 2017 and was named head coach of the Sky in 2019, leading them to a record of 20-14..
Forward Stevens played at UConn, before being selected by the Dallas Wings in the 1st round (6th overall) in the 2018 WNBA draft. After two seasons with the Wings, the second of which was shortened by foot surgery,, she was traded to the Sky. For her career, she has played 43 games, averaging 8 points and 4.4 rebounds per game.
Forward Parker played college ball at High Point and Middle Tennessee, before being selected in the 1st round (5th overall) of the 2015 WNBA draft. In five seasons with the Sky, she has played 146 games, averaging 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds per game.
Guard Colson played for Texas A&M before being selected by the Connecticut Sun in the 2nd round of the 2011 WNBA draft. She was traded to the New York Liberty before the season. After one season with the Liberty, she did not play in the WNBA until 2015, when she signed with the San Antonio Stars. She played three seasons with the Stars, followed by a season with the Las Vegas Aces and one with the Lynx, before joining the Sky this season. For her career, she has played 148 games, averaging 3.5 points, 2.1 assists and 1 rebound per game.
Guard-forward Copper played for Rutgers, before being selected by the Washington Mystics in the 1st round (7th overall) in the 2016 WNBA draft. She played one season with the Mystics before being traded to the Sky as part of the Elena Delle Donne trade. For her career, in four seasons, she has played 131 games, averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game.
Go to WNBA.com for more info n the league. Also, go to GlobalWomensSportsRadio.com for more coverage of the WNBA and all women's sports.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a Press Conference at Wintrust Arena. The Chicago Sky had a big announcement to make.
I arrived early to the arena, located just south of downtown Chicago. As I made my way across the concourse, I recognized Sky owner Michael Alter, Sky Coach Amber Stocks and Sky player Stefanie Dolson. Shortly after we all assembled, Mayor Rahm Emanuel joined the other dignitaries for a group photo before the short speeches began.
The Sky was proud to announce the University of Chicago Medicine & Biological Sciences as their official medical sponsor and provider. One by one, several members of the Sky organization, the Mayor and representatives of the University of Chicago talked about the new partnership, the excitement over the Sky's move back to Chicago and other related topics.
This partnership is really exciting news. It is more of the Sky entrenching itself in Chicago and a major University and medical center embracing the organization.
Sky Principal owner Aler is also President of the Alter Group, one of the country’s largest private commercial real estate developers. Alter has always impressed me with his passion for the Sky. It's not just a business for him.
After covering the Sky last season, I finally had the chance to introduce myself and to thank him for that opportunity. We talked a bit about Global Traveler magazine, the team and the new arena. Despite how busy he was, he took a few minutes to talk with me and I greatly appreciate that.
After covering the Sky for one season, I found myself missing it shortly after the last game. I have a great deal of respect for the positivity and professionalism of Coach Stocks and the athleticism of the players, of course. It really was a lot of fun being at the games and in the press sessions. I thank the Sky organization for the opportunity and hospitality. I look forward to being back "On the Beat" this season (which starts in May).
Last Sunday, I was back "On the Beat" with the Chicago Sky. The Sky lost a tough battle 86-82 to the New York Liberty. My recap of the game can be found on the Patch at On the Beat With the Chicago Sky 7/30/17.
The Sky are now 8-16 and tied for 10th place (out of 12 teams) with the Indiana Fever. With 8 teams making the playoffs, it seems a longshot for the Sky. On the other hand, the 8th spot is currently held by the Atlanta Dream with a record of 10-14. Suddenly, it doesn't look impossible.
Sunday's game was very interesting. The Sky outscored the Liberty in the 1st, 3rd and 4th quarters. As a matter of fact, they outscored the Liberty for all but the 10-0 run for the Liberty at the start of the 2nd quarter. As frustrating as that sounds, it is also a source of hope. The Liberty are now 12-10 in 6th place and the Sky hung with them (except for that one spurt).
I continue to be impressed with this team. Coach Amber Stocks is poised, calm and confident. She praises her team when it's deserved, but she also accepts the criticism when it is justified. She faces the media with her head held high, supporting her team as she explains what went wrong and what worked.
The players follow the lead from Coach Stock. In Sunday's case, Jessica Breland and Allie Quigley faced the media. While it is not a harsh group of reporters, it still can't be pleasant after such a tough battle.
I am also impressed with the fan base the Sky have. The Allstate Arena is filled with young, loud fans, who know the team. These aren't just casual fans. These are the future ticket-buyers.
I am also excited about the future for another reason. The team just announced they will move to the new Wintrust Arena near McCormick Place for next season. The state-of-the-art arena will hold 10,000 and should be a major draw in the south loop.
As you can tell, I have been enjoying my experience with the Sky. There are still 10 games left and I will be watching them either on television or at the arena.
You can check Sky.WNBA.com for more info, including their schedule. I also want to give a huge thank you to the Sky for their hospitality.
We were back "On the Beat" with the WNBA Chicago Sky as they beat the Dallas Wings 90-84, to raise their record to 5-12 for the season. It was also their second consecutive victory.
Guard Allie Quigley led all scorers with 22 points, shooting 7-12 on field goal attempts and 5-9 from 3 point land. She was also 3-4 from the free throw line and had 6 assists and 1 rebound.
A native of Joliet, IL, Quigley starred at DePaul University before being selected by the Seattle Storm in the second round (22nd overall) in the 2008 WNBA Draft. The Storm released her prior to the season, but the Phoenix Mercury quickly signed her.
Quigley spent 2 seasons with the Mercury, then joined the Indiana Fever. In 2011, she found her way back to the Storm, where she played for 1 season. Quigley signed with the Sky in 2013 and has played here ever since.
She also played overseas during that span. She won the Turkish Super Cup in 2015 and the Turkish League in 2016. She also won the Turkish Cup in 2016 and was the MVP of the Turkish Cup.
This season, she has played in 14 games, averaging 16.4 points while playing over 31 minutes of action. She also adds 3 rebounds and 3 assists per game, while shooting over 45% from 3 point territory.
In Wednesday's game, she shot 5-9 from the 3 point land, which was a major part of the Sky's offense. She led all scorers with 22 points.
In the post-game media session, Quigley was asked about her three point shooting now and during her time at DePaul. She also talked a bit about teammate Keisha Hampton. Below is the Quigley portion of the post-game media session.
It's very cool to see a local lady do well with the Sky. Quigley has worked hard to get to this point and she deserves all of the success she has and the praise she gets.
Thank you to the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. I appreciate Quigley's time and consideration for this media session. I encourage everyone to check out the Sky in action. Head over to Sky.WNBA.comfor more info, incuding their remaining schedule.
Last Wednesday, we were back "On the Beat" with the WNBA Chicago Sky, as they defeated the Dallas Wings 90-84 to raise their record to 5-12. Their second consecutive win was an impressive one.
Trailing by 6 at halftime, the Sky came roaring out in the 3rd quarter to take a 78-63 lead. The Sky held off a 21-12 4th quarter run by the Wings, to secure their victory. Today, we focus on Forward Keisha Hampton, who also played a big part in the win.
Hampton scored 12 points, on 4-7 shooting from the field and 4-6 from 3 point land. She also added one assist, one rebound and one blocked shot.
Like teammate Allie Quigley, Hampton starred at DePaul University, was selected in the second round of the WNBA Draft (22nd overall, too) by the Seattle Storm and was waived prior to the season. That's a lot of coincidences. Hampton started her WNBA career with the Minnesota Lynx last season. She joined the Sky for this season.
This season, Hampton has played in 12 games, averaging about 2.8 points and 7 minutes played per game. She has made the most of her opportunities, including coming up big in Wednesday's win. Her performance was especially vital with the absence of Cappie Pondexter due to the Concussion Protocol.
In the post-game media session, Hampton discussed her perseverance in her career, along with a bit on her relationship with fellow DePaul alum Quigley. Hampton seemed to enjoy the session or maybe it was just the aftereffect of her excellent performance.
Thank you to the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. Thanks, too, to Keisha Hampton for her time and consideration in the media session. I am already looking forward to my next time "On the Beat" with the Sky. For more info on the Sky, including their schedule, head to Sky.WNBA.com.
We were very happy to be back "On the Beat" at yesterday's Chicago Sky game, especially since they beat the Dallas Wings 90-84. The Sky has now won consecutive games, to bring their record to 5-12.
As always, I arrived early at the Allstate Arena. I like to soak in every minute of these experiences. As I drove to Rosemont, battling the downpour, I wondered what the attendance would be.
That question was quickly answered as I arrived at the arena. Ninety minutes before the game, there was a huge crowd waiting for the doors to open. The crowd eventually grew to over 14,000. Again, a large percentage of the crowd was youngsters, who were excited, loud and well-behaved.
The Sky and Wings were tied at the end of the first quarter, but the Sky fell behind 50-46 at halftime. This game was a battle.
The third quarter was owned by the Sky, as they outscored the Wings 32-13 to take the lead at 78-63. The Sky would never relinquish the lead, surviving a 21-12 comeback by the Wings in the fourth quarter.
Guard Allie Quigley topped all scorers with 22 points. As a team, the Sky shot 53% from the field, 48% from 3 point land and 57.1% from the free throw line. The Wings shot 39.2%, 29.6% and 90% respectively in those categories.
Forward Jessica Breland took the rebounding honors with 12. The Sky had 10 offensive rebounds and 30 defensive rebounds for a total of 40. The Wings had 10 and 17 for a total of 27.
In the post-game media session, Coach Amber Stocks praised her team for their effort, especially without the services of Cappie Pondexter, who sat out due to the concussion protocol. Coach Stocks talked about the big third quarter, the three point shooting and about Allie Quigley and Keisha Hampton, who flanked her at the session.
One reporter asked the players about their time at DePaul, since both came from that school. Coach Stocks expanded on their answers by praising the DePaul program and Coach Doug Bruno.
I'd say it was a very happy media session, but Coach Stocks always keeps things professional and positive. Her media sessions are interesting and refreshing. I admit I did not know much about Coach Stocks prior to this season, but I have to say how much respect I have for her. She is coaching the team during a transitional time. After losing Elena Delle Donne, the team took criticism for trading the face of the franchise and one of the league's best players. Prior to the start of this season, Stocks replaced former Head Coach Pokey Chatman, inheriting a lot of questions.
She has handled all gracefully. Despite a 5-12 record, there are a lot of positive signs. A little more consistency could have that record drastically improved. I can honestly say, I have never seen the Sky give up. They fight to the end.
Below is the post-game media session featuring Coach Stocks. I will share the rest of the media session in the next couple days.
Thank you to the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. Thank you to Coach Stocks for her time and consideration. I encourage everyone to join the fun at a future Sky game. Check out Sky.WNBA.com for all of the news, scheduling and other info.
My first game live "On the Beat" with the WNBA Chicago Sky was last Wednesday's 82-75 loss to the Indiana Fever. Despite the loss, I had a great time and recapped my experience on the Patch at On the Beat With the Chicago Sky-6/28/17.
Forward Jessica Breland, 29, starred at the University of North Carolina. During her time there, she was diagnosed with Hodgkin's lymphoma. She had to sit out the 2009-10 season, but fortunately recovered.
The Minnesota Lynx selected her in the second round with the 13th overall pick in the 2011 WNBA Draft. She was then traded to the New York Liberty. After 2 seasons with the Liberty and 1 with the Indiana Fever, Breland signed as a free agent with the Sky for the 2014 season.
This season, she is averaging 8.9 points per game, while collecting 6.6 rebounds. She is shooting 46.9% from the field and 36.8% from 3 point land.
In Wednesday's game, she led the Sky with 30:16 minutes played and 22 points scored, on an incredible 11-16 (68.8%) shooting.
Breland discussed her impressive offensive performance and the rebound dominance of the Sky. She was quick to share credit with her teammates.
As with Coach Amber Stocks and Guard Cappie Pondexter, I was very impressed by Breland's composure, professionalism and attitude. At 3-11 with no home wins, it would be easy to hang your head. Instead, the Sky shows every sign of remaining positive and pulling together as a team. I really hope they start collecting wins and I believe they will. Better times are ahead.
Once again, I thank the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. It was a wonderful experience and one that I will be repeating and covering here and on the Patch. In the meantime, go to Sky.WNBA.com for more info.
After covering the WNBA Chicago Sky for the Patch.com, I was "On the Beat" at an actual game Wednesday. Unfortunately, the Sky lost 82-75 to the Indiana Fever, but that did not ruin a great day. You can read my full recap on the Patch at On the Beat With the Chicago Sky-6/28/17.
Guard Cappie Pondexter, 34, is in her 12th WNBA season. After an outstanding career at Rutgers University, Pondexter was selected 2nd overall by the Phoenix Mercury in the 2006 WNBA Draft. She played 4 seasons with Phoenix, followed by 5 seasons with the New York Liberty, before joining the Sky for the 2015 season. She has also played for a few teams in Europe.
Pondexter is a two time WNBA champ (2007 and 2009 with the Mercury). She is also a multi-time Turkish champ and winner of one Russian Cup. She has quite an impressive basketball resume.
In Wednesday's game, she scored 13 points, with 7 rebounds in 30:02 minutes of play (second most on the team). After the game, she took responsibility, like a true veteran team leader. You can hear all of her comments in the Post-game media session below.
You'll see Pondexter is quiet in the beginning, but she quickly gets lively when talking about the team attitude and effort. I was very impressed with Pondexter's responses, especially after a tough loss.
I want to thank the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. I am excited about attending more games and providing more coverage of the team. You can go to Sky.WNBA.com to get more info, including their schedule.
I'm not just a writer covering the Sky. I am also a fan, as you can tell. In fact, I have already organized a group of friends to attend a game next month and I am working on more. The Sky provide a great game experience and they deserve support.
I am very excited to be "On the Beat" with the Chicago Sky. I have been a fan of the Sky since their debut prior to the 2006 WNBA season. I have been reporting on the Sky on Patch.com, but Wednesday, I attended my first game as a member of the press. You can read my full recap on the Patch at On the Beat With the Chicago Sky-6/28/17.
I arrived early at the Allstate Arena, expecting to see other media members and a smattering of super-fans. I saw the media folks, but I also saw a large and quickly-growing crowd of youngsters. Seriously, I couldn't believe how many kids were already there 90 minutes prior to tipoff.
That crowd just kept getting bigger, eventually topping 10,000. I'd safely guess the average age was under 20. They were already excited and loud (and well-behaved, I might add) well before game time.
I have to commend the youths and their adult leaders. In an age of so many distractions, these kids focused on the game the entire time. It was quite a spectacle to witness and it bodes well for the future of the Sky and the WNBA. Today's young fan is tomorrow's ticket-buyer.
The Sky lost 82-75 in a very good game. Despite falling behind early, the Sky roared back with an 11-0 run and actually led by 1 at halftime. Unfortunately, the Sky could not keep pace with the Fever, who pulled away and held off the Sky for the win. Still, a few missed free throws and a successful 3 pointer could have changed the outcome very easily. I give all due credit to the Fever, but the Sky hung tough.
I took part in the post-game media session. Coach Amber Stocks started it by praising her team's effort (and rightly so). This wasn't just notebook-filler stuff. Coach Stocks was absolutely correct and I am sure her team appreciated the support.
All wasn't just flowery talk though. Coach Stocks did talk about the deficiencies of the game and the Sky in general. She gave a valid assessment of the situation.
Coach Stocks also talked about the positive side. The team scored 24 points in the 4th quarter. The Sky had a 48-25 rebound advantage. They had the 11 point run when they were down. These things all speak of a team not as bad as their 3-11 record would indicate.
I was very impressed with Coach Stocks. She remained upbeat while being fair. She was composed and professional. Answering the tough questions after an even tougher loss isn't easy, but Coach Stocks showed her class and set the example for her team.
I also have to thank her for a small sign of nicety, as she came over and introduced herself to me after the session. She certainly did not need to do that. I'm not exactly a major media outlet, but Coach Stocks took a few moments to do so and I appreciated her effort.
Below is Coach Stocks answering the questions in the media session. Over the next couple days, I will also share the media sessions with Cappie Pondexter and Jessica Breland. All season, I will continue to provide recurring coverage of the Sky here and on the Patch.
I want to thank the Chicago Sky for their hospitality. I encourage everyone to go to Sky.WNBA.com to get more info, including their schedule. Then, take a lesson from the throngs of kids at the game and see for yourself!
