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Chicago Sky fall to Minnesota Lynx as Vandersloot sets assist record

Nicholas Niendorf|
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- AUGUST 27: Allie Quigley #14 of the Chicago Sky drives to the basket against the Minnesota Lynx on August 27, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN- AUGUST 27: Allie Quigley #14 of the Chicago Sky drives to the basket against the Minnesota Lynx on August 27, 2019 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2019 NBAE (Photo by David Sherman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Chicago Sky failed to move up the standings as the playoff-bound Minnesota Lynx beat them 93-85 Tuesday night.

Chicago Sky guard Diamond DeShields planted right and then blew right past Minnesota Lynx forward Napheesa Collier.

Collier, forced to defend with her back to the inbounder, did what most defenders would do and tried to get big. Unfortunately for the Rookie of the Year candidate, most defenders don’t have to worry about Courtney Vandersloot as the inbounder.

The ball sailed over Collier’s head and into the hands of DeShields, who finished the job.

It was Vandersloot’s 259th assist of the season, surpassing the WNBA assist record she set last year. She did it with four games left on team’s schedule and will likely only continue to build on what has been one of the most impressive seasons in WNBA history.

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The pass came with little fanfare, partly because it was delivered on a Minnesota broadcast and partly because Vandersloot has been doing these things all season—the record-setting pass was her sixth of the night with nearly nine minutes left in the third quarter.

But it also came with the Sky down 13 to a Lynx team that had been pounding them down for much of the game. The record isn’t unappreciated, but it is little consolation to somebody as competitive as Vandersloot, who is trying to help net Chicago a bye in the first round.

“You know we want to make some noise,” Vandersloot said after the game. “We still have a couple games left. You know our seeding isn’t set so you know, we’re still focused on what we’re doing here and once the playoffs come, you know, we’ll refocus. And, you know, this is a new season, it’s an exciting year because I think anyone can take it and we think that we have the ability in this locker room to make a good run in the playoffs.”

For her own part, the point guard finished the game with 10 assists, but did so while turning the ball over six times and connecting on just one her six shots from the field. Vandersloot and fellow starter Stefanie Dolson combined for just six points, and the duo struggled to score all game.

Other players picked up the slack on offense, however. DeShields scored 19 points, albeit on 7-for-17 shooting. Allie Quigley and Astou Ndour combined for 31 points on 59% shooting from the field, and Cheyenne Parker exploded for 22 points off the bench.

But offense was not the problem Tuesday night.

Defensive struggles continue

The Sky have struggled all season to defend the interior, and surrender the most points in the paint, as pointed out by The Athletic’s Katie Davidson. Minnesota, who score almost 48% of their points in the paint, lead the league in that category and showed it against Chicago. Minnesota’s starting front court scored 61 of the team’s 93 points, with 40 of those points coming either in the paint or at the free throw line.

Even with Ndour’s elevated play on both ends of the floor, she can still get bullied by the big posts of the league. Although Dolson has impressed at times on defense, foul trouble has hampered her ability to defend near the rim. Despite her foot speed and lateral quickness was a concern for Dolson coming into the season, she hasn’t been a big liability there. Aside from hesitant closeouts—which have often been more of a chemistry issue, first with Jantel Lavender and now with Ndour—Dolson has been more comfortable than ever defending in space.

The problem is that Chicago has a front court of players who slot in best at the four, without a clear five to go to on defense. And while basketball is certainly beyond the days of rigid positions, the Brittney Griners, Liz Cambages and Sylvia Fowles of the league—skilled colossals who are just as likely to bulldoze through defenses as they are to drop step around them—don’t care who’s on the floor if that player can’t defend them in the post.

It’s not a problem that head coach James Wade can fix this season, but it is one he will either have to work around or live with until the end of the playoffs.

Wade, who is a top candidate for Coach of the Year after revitalizing the Sky, will have a chance to prove himself once again by attempting to remedy Chicago’s interior issues. With four games left in the regular season, and a possible single-elimination game looming ahead, he will have to move quick.

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