{"id":629457,"date":"2026-05-07T19:15:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T19:15:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/629457\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T19:15:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T19:15:09","slug":"the-sky-built-a-deeper-roster-and-tyler-marsh-isnt-worried-about-its-quirks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/629457\/","title":{"rendered":"The Sky built a deeper roster, and Tyler Marsh isn\u2019t worried about its quirks"},"content":{"rendered":"

When Tyler Marsh was introduced as head coach of the Sky<\/a> in November of 2024, he shared a lesson from Las Vegas, where he won two championships as an assistant. To be successful in the W, you can\u2019t just rely on your stars. You need others to get hot at the right time. Think Aces guard Riquna Williams\u2019 17 points in Game 4 of the 2022 Finals.<\/p>\n

Marsh wanted to build a team where players 1 through 12 could make an impact.<\/p>\n

This 2026 Sky roster is a solid attempt.<\/p>\n

You could employ a starting five of Skylar Diggins, Natasha Cloud, Rickea Jackson, Azur\u00e1 Stevens and Kamilla Cardoso \u2014 and still bring an all-time great in Courtney Vandersloot, plus two All-Defensive talents in DiJonai Carrington<\/a> and Elizabeth Williams off the bench.<\/p>\n

You\u2019d also have your 2026 lottery pick, Gabriela Jaquez<\/a>, and your best three-point shooter, Rachel Banham, to mix in.<\/p>\n

That\u2019s depth to be proud of. It\u2019s just that the composition is a little uneven.<\/p>\n

For starters, the balance between bigs and littles is skewed. The Sky have eight guards and four post players \u2014 and that\u2019s if you count Jackson (6-foot-2) as a true post.<\/p>\n

Won\u2019t that leave them vulnerable on the interior?<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t think you can go wrong with a lot of good guards, capable guards,\u201d Marsh said Tuesday after practice. \u201cIt\u2019s not like we\u2019re just stock holding a bunch of players. It\u2019s players that can contribute and we\u2019re going to find ways to utilize them.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marsh isn\u2019t short on ideas for how to make it work. Expect plenty of three-guard lineups. Expect the team to prioritize transition defense over offensive rebounding. Expect Cloud, a versatile defender, to match up on post players.<\/p>\n

But what about the tension between Marsh\u2019s offensive system, which relies on 3-point shooting, and the personnel?<\/p>\n

The Sky added guards who can create shots and get to the rack, but only a few are known for spotting up and knocking down treys.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we have some underrated shooters,\u201d Marsh said. \u201cWe have players that you may not classify as shooters but have the ability to hit shots in big moments.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marsh emphasized that Diggins shot 36.5% from deep last season, almost four points above her career average. He also pointed out that Cloud lit the Sky up from deep in their home opener against the Liberty last season.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe got some players that we trust that can make open shots,\u201d Marsh said. \u201cIt\u2019s about creating for them and putting them in position to feel confident to take and make those shots.\u201d<\/p>\n

Ultimately this is the outlook you want from your coach. You want them to see strengths in their players where others don\u2019t. You want them to trust their own creativity and schemes to protect the team\u2019s vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n

Still \u2014 doesn\u2019t anything concern the second-year coach ahead of the regular-season opener on Saturday? What are the top two worries keeping him up at night?<\/p>\n

\u201cStaying healthy, and staying healthy,\u201d Marsh said Wednesday after practice.<\/p>\n

Which is to be expected. Injuries derailed the Sky last year, and they\u2019re off on the wrong foot again this season. Carrington and Vandersloot are both recovering from surgery and are weeks away from returning. And Stevens is still ramping back up from a knee injury at Unrivaled.<\/p>\n

Funny how three injuries to key players throws cold water on that depth pretty fast.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, the starting five might be Diggins, Cloud, Banham, Jackson, and Cardoso, with Williams and Jacy Sheldon first up off the bench. Not quite the same punch to it, but for now it will have to suffice. <\/p>\n

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\"Atlanta<\/p>\n

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Development players are eligible to play in up to 12 games this season. <\/p>\n

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\"2025<\/p>\n

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Sivka, 20, was expected to join the Sky this season. Instead she\u2019s headed to the SEC.<\/p>\n

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An undrafted guard from a mid-major program is now one of the Sky\u2019s final 12. <\/p>\n

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