Last season, during the Sky’s single-elimination playoff game against the Minnesota Lynx, Azurá Stevens arrived.
Not in a literal sense. She was drafted into the league in 2018 with the sixth overall pick and acquired by Chicago in a 2020 trade for Katie Lou Samuelson. Following her rookie season, though, Stevens has dealt with periods of injury every year.
She started the 2021 season on a minutes restriction after having surgery during the previous offseason. By the time the Sky limped into the 2021 postseason, Stevens was ready to go.
The Sky advanced to the semifinals beating the Lynx 89-76, and Stevens’ defense on Sylvia Fowles — limiting her to four second-half points — was a difference-maker.
Two days before the Sky’s season opener at Wintrust Arena against the Los Angeles Sparks, Stevens is operating at 100%, ready for an expanded role in coach/GM James Wade’s system.
“Azurá is like a unicorn of sorts,” Wade said. “She can play offense like a guard and play defense like a post.”
Stevens’ versatility has drawn comparisons to her teammate, two-time WNBA champion and league MVP Candace Parker. Since Parker signed with the Sky ahead of last year’s championship season, Stevens has worked closely with her.
Before leaving the WNBA bubble early in 2020 with a knee injury, Stevens was averaging career highs in nearly every stat.
This offseason, Stevens prioritized being mentally in tune with her body and accepting certain limitations after having surgery. Since she’s been in camp with the Sky there’s been an emphasis on her three-point shooting. In 2020 she was shooting almost 40% from three, Wade wants to see her return to that form.
Getting extra shots up after practice is something Stevens hasn’t skipped in nearly three weeks of training camp.
“The difference [when Candace Parker is on the floor with Stevens] is you have another post that can create for her,” Wade said. “But when we put her on the other [practice] team, we put the ball in her hands. Candace is like a mentor to her.
With Candace back it kind of makes Azurá more courageous because she sees her doing certain things. It’s awesome to see.”
Wade’s 2022 roster has the most versatility of any Sky team he’s coached in his tenure. With 2019 Finals MVP Emma Meesseman in the fold, he has another passing big who can shoot.
The lineup possibilities are endless and Stevens is preparing to play in whatever role Wade taps her for.
“It’s been really cool [sharing the court with Parker and Meesseman],” Stevens said. “We are interchangeable between positions three, four and five. It speaks to our team and the versatility we have in the post especially.”
Stevens has expressed multiple times that the Sky’s roster is a cheat code. At the guard position too, the Sky’s versatility is not lacking. Between Courtney Vandersloot, Kahleah Copper and Allie Quigley, their backcourt’s skill set covers all bases.
In 2021 we saw the Sky excel at running a fast-paced offense with tons of ball movement. Wade has said he isn’t looking for players who are putting up 25 shots a night. He has once again put together a team that thrives on sharing the ball and Stevens’ role in that system in 2022 will be significant.
“We know what we can do when she’s on the court and she’s healthy,” Parker said. “Last year she grew up a lot during the playoffs. I think that’s huge.”
