Allie Quigley was one of the last players to leave the Sky’s practice Thursday before the team caught a flight to Atlanta for their game Friday night against the Dream.
The reigning three-point champion was putting up extra shots, a common sight following any practice. What’s different is the shooting slump Quigley is in.
Over the last four games, Quigley is a combined 1-for-13 from three-point range, including being shut out in the last three games. The last time Quigley was held scoreless from behind the arc in three consecutive games (in which she made attempts) was in 2013.
Shooting more isn’t necessarily the remedy. Quigley said it’s more about remaining confident and believing the next one will fall.
“It’s just about trusting what you’ve done, being ready for the next game and keep shooting,” she said.
In the last two games, the Sky shot 26.3% from three-point range in their win against the Phoenix Mercury and 16.1% in their loss to the Las Vegas Aces. On the season, the Sky (5-3) are converting 30.6% of their threes, the team’s lowest mark under coach/GM James Wade’s tenure.
Despite struggling from three-point range, Quigley has found her offense in different ways, including getting to the rim and drawing contact. She is 14 of 15 from the free-throw line in six games this season.
Wade attributes some of the struggles on offense to a lack of aggressiveness. After watching film from their three-point win over the Mercury, the Sky saw that they passed up too many uncontested shots.
“It comes down to us having rhythm with each other and trying to play with each other,” Wade said. “You miss an open shot and try to find somebody else, but then they’re shooting a contested shot because you [gave up] an open shot.”
When the Sky signed Emma Meesseman this offseason, it was assumed that the transition from Stefanie Dolson would be seamless given Meesseman’s experience playing with Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot in Russia. There have been brilliant moments comprised of no-look passes and floor spacing allowing for great ball movement, but the Sky have not shown consistency on offense.
“We play in Europe together, and it’s just different,” Vandersloot said of meshing with Meesseman. “We underestimated that going into the season, how coverages are different, athleticism is different. It’s taking us a little bit of time, but I’m willing to bet on us that we’ll figure it out.”
This team’s greatest strength through the first month of the season is its bench production. Despite the struggles on offense, Wade has been able to rely on his second unit to give his starters adequate rest and maintain the level of play.
Over the last four games, the Sky’s bench has outscored opponents 112-50. Against the Aces, the Sky’s bench was able to keep them in the game, bringing them within 13 to start the fourth quarter. The Sky’s bench is third in the league in points per game (22.8) behind the Connecticut Sun (24.4) and the Dream (22.9).
On multiple occasions, the team has referenced its ability to overcome a seven-game losing streak and a .500 record heading into the playoffs last season to convey confidence in their seasonlong progression. Still without guard Julie Allemand, and just two games into Li Yueru’s WNBA debut, it’s clear that the Sky’s potential is far from being fully realized.
