{"id":657354,"date":"2026-05-21T23:25:08","date_gmt":"2026-05-21T23:25:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/657354\/"},"modified":"2026-05-21T23:25:08","modified_gmt":"2026-05-21T23:25:08","slug":"skys-defensive-swagger-is-real-but-the-element-of-surprise-is-gone","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/657354\/","title":{"rendered":"Sky’s defensive swagger is real but the element of surprise is gone"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Sky<\/a> came into the season thinking that the league was underestimating them defensively, and so far, they\u2019ve been right.<\/p>\n

The team has a top-five defensive rating through five games, trailing only the Dream, Valkyries, Aces and Fever. Not bad company to keep \u2014 and not a bad turnaround from last year when they were one of the worst defensive teams in the league.<\/p>\n

Of course it\u2019s an entirely new roster, and the athleticism on it has allowed Coach Tyler Marsh to take a different approach.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year we\u2019re more on the side of being aggressive and disruptive,\u201d Marsh said. \u201cLast year was more of a conservative approach, and containing the ball and being somewhat constrained to certain matchups.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe just have a different type of roster and a different type of versatility that we can explore this year, and so it allows for more aggression, with our ability to impact the ball on the perimeter first and foremost, and hope that that takes some of the pressure off our [post players protecting the rim].\u201d<\/p>\n

The combination of ball pressure from supremely athletic guards \u2014 Skylar Diggins, Natasha Cloud, Jacy Sheldon and Gabriela Jaquez \u2014 and rim protection from the bigs has been effective and generated excitement.<\/p>\n

Cloud couldn\u2019t stop raving about the defense after the win in Minnesota last week.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve been in the league 11 years and a lot of times I\u2019m the only primary defender on the perimeter,\u201d Cloud said. \u201cI can\u2019t tell you what a relief it is to have [Jaquez] on the side with me, [Sheldon], [Diggins] on the wings with me. We all can defend, we can all be super versatile. We get up, we\u2019re aggressive, and it allows us to get deflections, push offenses out of where they want to be.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first five games have made clear who the Sky (3-2) are trying to be. Tough. Connected. Bringing heavy pressure. But for a defensive-minded identity to really take root, it needs to be tested over time.<\/p>\n

Losing forward Rickea Jackson to a season-ending ACL injury is one such test. She didn\u2019t come into the season known for her defense, but she was already showing that her athleticism, length and instincts for the ball translated to that end, too.<\/p>\n

The Sky will have to figure out how to make up for that.<\/a><\/p>\n

Another test is how they respond to slippage. The Sky gave up 99 points in their loss to the Wings \u2014 only the second time they\u2019d allowed more than 90 this season.<\/p>\n

Diggins credited some incredible shotmaking from the Wings\u2019 backcourt. Arike Ogunbowale and Paige Bueckers combined for 47 points, including 9 3-pointers. But Diggins still thought it came down to their own mistakes.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think we\u2019re just a little bit more undisciplined than we usually are defensively… We kind of just cut corners defensively,\u201d Diggins said after the loss. \u201cIn that third quarter we didn\u2019t get a consecutive stop, and I thought that was very uncharacteristic of what our defense was looking like the first four games.\u201d<\/p>\n

In their second win of the season, the Sky\u2019s ball pressure smothered the Valkyries, holding them to the third-lowest field goal percentage in franchise history. In their third, their pressure seriously bothered All-Star guards Courtney Williams and Kayla McBride in Minnesota.<\/p>\n

But now those teams know. The element of surprise \u2014 or even underestimation \u2014 is gone.<\/p>\n

The Lynx return to Wintrust Arena on Saturday. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve\u2019s teams are also typically disruptive defensively \u2014 which means she might know a thing or two about how to weaponize it against you.<\/p>\n

Are the Sky ready for her response?<\/p>\n

Their counters and adjustments will define them much more than their original game plan.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Sky<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Without Jackson, Sky fall to Wings in home opener.<\/p>\n

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\"Chicago<\/p>\n

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Cloud said she still doesn\u2019t know why it took so long to find a home.<\/p>\n

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\"Sky<\/p>\n

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An MRI revealed a torn ACL in Jackson\u2019s left knee, which she suffered May 17 against the Lynx. There will be no easy answers for the Sky without her. <\/p>\n

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