WNBA: Inside The Windy City
Jarrod Rogol
May 03, 2006
In one week, a new professional sports franchise will begin their journey in the midwest and attempt to leave a huge mark behind as the preseason will get underway.
Chicago will be a city of expansion this year, as the Chicago Machine will represent the city in Major League Lacrosse and a soon to be named team will be in the National Lacrosse League. But before all of that, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA will call the UIC Pavilion home. Sky executives are looking forward to the season, ?Chicago is a very attractive city, the market size and fans make it a great city,? said Sky Chairman and Owner Michael Alter about why Chicago is so attractive for sports franchises.
The Sky have really kept with the WNBA theme of giving back to the community by giving speeches at schools, and pairing up with the American Cancer Society for the annual Walk and Roll Event, ?From day one it has been a big part of our identity to help the community and we will continue to do anything we can,? said Alter.
When the team steps on the court, veteran leaders will be a big piece of the puzzle, ?She has a good work ethic, and has spent time on conditioning as well with our assistant coach Steven Key. She also hired a personal trainer,? said Sky Head Coach Dave Cowens about Brooke Wyckoff. ?Key is infectious, and Brooke is progressing very well,? said Alter. Cowens went on commenting about another leader on the team Stacey Dales who took last season off from the WNBA, ?She is shooting well and will be ready once the season starts.?
Sky fans had three reasons for excitement during the WNBA Draft, when Candice Dupree, Jennifer Harris, and Kerri Gardin became part of the team.
First round pick Candice Dupree comes to the WNBA by way of Temple University. The 6?2? forward/center finished her collegiate career with 940 boards, 170 assists, 197 steals, 218 blocks, 8.3 rebounds per game and 15 points per game. Dupree also gathered many Atlantic 10 awards in 2005 including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. ?Natural player who is built for the game with long arms, height, good balance and footwork,? said Cowens about what Dupree brings to the Sky.
After picking up their forward/center, it was time for the Sky to use their second round pick on a guard and they got Jennifer Harris from the Washburn Lady Blues. Harris made history by becoming the first ever MIAA player drafted into the league. During her senior season, she was named NCAA Division II Player of the Year and also set the MIAA single-season scoring record with 797 points, ?We are pleased that the quality of athletes that the MIAA has is being recognized, by the next level. Another thing that people can take from this is that there is a large amount of parity within all levels of college athletics,? said MIAA Commissioner Ralph McFillen. ?She helped herself at the rookie camp, down the road I?m looking at her being a decent size point guard. I want to bring her a long slowly. One thing she needs to be able to do is knockdown the wide open shots from outside. At this level, it will be harder to go into the paint like she did at the college level,? said Cowens.
With the third round pick, the Sky acquired forward Kerri Gardin from Virginia Tech. Gardin set the school single-season record for boards with 289 and is also fifth on Tech?s scoring list. ?She is a bit of a sleeper, she jumps as well as anyone on the team. She is also quiet, but when it comes to work, she gets it done. I love the athleticism, from the little that I saw on film and in Boston,? said Cowens.
With camp just getting underway last week, there is plenty of time for the Sky to hone in on what needs to be made better in time for the season, ?We are looking for bigs, shooters, and solid point leadership,? said Cowens about the areas he most wants to address.
In his closing comments during the interview, Cowens had some comments for the fans, ?We need the fan support to make the 17 games at the UIC Pavilion a good experience and to fill the arena with energy. We think the fans can bring a lot to the success of the organization.?
The Sky will play both preseason games at home May 9, against Lisa Leslie?s Los Angeles Sparks and May 12 against Sue Bird?s Seattle Storm. For the Sky, the regular season will open on May 20, when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Sting.
Official Site: Chicago Sky
Chicago will be a city of expansion this year, as the Chicago Machine will represent the city in Major League Lacrosse and a soon to be named team will be in the National Lacrosse League. But before all of that, the Chicago Sky of the WNBA will call the UIC Pavilion home. Sky executives are looking forward to the season, ?Chicago is a very attractive city, the market size and fans make it a great city,? said Sky Chairman and Owner Michael Alter about why Chicago is so attractive for sports franchises.
The Sky have really kept with the WNBA theme of giving back to the community by giving speeches at schools, and pairing up with the American Cancer Society for the annual Walk and Roll Event, ?From day one it has been a big part of our identity to help the community and we will continue to do anything we can,? said Alter.
When the team steps on the court, veteran leaders will be a big piece of the puzzle, ?She has a good work ethic, and has spent time on conditioning as well with our assistant coach Steven Key. She also hired a personal trainer,? said Sky Head Coach Dave Cowens about Brooke Wyckoff. ?Key is infectious, and Brooke is progressing very well,? said Alter. Cowens went on commenting about another leader on the team Stacey Dales who took last season off from the WNBA, ?She is shooting well and will be ready once the season starts.?
Sky fans had three reasons for excitement during the WNBA Draft, when Candice Dupree, Jennifer Harris, and Kerri Gardin became part of the team.
First round pick Candice Dupree comes to the WNBA by way of Temple University. The 6?2? forward/center finished her collegiate career with 940 boards, 170 assists, 197 steals, 218 blocks, 8.3 rebounds per game and 15 points per game. Dupree also gathered many Atlantic 10 awards in 2005 including Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Most Outstanding Player in the Atlantic 10 Tournament. ?Natural player who is built for the game with long arms, height, good balance and footwork,? said Cowens about what Dupree brings to the Sky.
After picking up their forward/center, it was time for the Sky to use their second round pick on a guard and they got Jennifer Harris from the Washburn Lady Blues. Harris made history by becoming the first ever MIAA player drafted into the league. During her senior season, she was named NCAA Division II Player of the Year and also set the MIAA single-season scoring record with 797 points, ?We are pleased that the quality of athletes that the MIAA has is being recognized, by the next level. Another thing that people can take from this is that there is a large amount of parity within all levels of college athletics,? said MIAA Commissioner Ralph McFillen. ?She helped herself at the rookie camp, down the road I?m looking at her being a decent size point guard. I want to bring her a long slowly. One thing she needs to be able to do is knockdown the wide open shots from outside. At this level, it will be harder to go into the paint like she did at the college level,? said Cowens.
With the third round pick, the Sky acquired forward Kerri Gardin from Virginia Tech. Gardin set the school single-season record for boards with 289 and is also fifth on Tech?s scoring list. ?She is a bit of a sleeper, she jumps as well as anyone on the team. She is also quiet, but when it comes to work, she gets it done. I love the athleticism, from the little that I saw on film and in Boston,? said Cowens.
With camp just getting underway last week, there is plenty of time for the Sky to hone in on what needs to be made better in time for the season, ?We are looking for bigs, shooters, and solid point leadership,? said Cowens about the areas he most wants to address.
In his closing comments during the interview, Cowens had some comments for the fans, ?We need the fan support to make the 17 games at the UIC Pavilion a good experience and to fill the arena with energy. We think the fans can bring a lot to the success of the organization.?
The Sky will play both preseason games at home May 9, against Lisa Leslie?s Los Angeles Sparks and May 12 against Sue Bird?s Seattle Storm. For the Sky, the regular season will open on May 20, when they travel to Charlotte to take on the Sting.
Official Site: Chicago Sky