In a UIC Pavilion tunnel beforehand, Dave Cowens preached patience. A couple of hours later and a few steps away from that spot, the Sky coach preached patience. Minutes after that, Detroit Shock coach and world-renowned pacifier Bill Laimbeer hit the same tranquil note.
At this rate, following another offensive sludge-fest that resulted in an 81-66 loss to Detroit on Sunday, patience with the expansion Sky soon won’t be a virtue. It’ll be a requirement for stadium entry. No shirt, no stoicism, no service.
“Obviously, as an expansion team, you’re going to get role players off everyone else’s team,” said Laimbeer, who guided the Shock to the 2003 WNBA title. “It’s very difficult to get chemistry together quick, and the talent level just isn’t where everyone else is at.”
A fifth straight defeat, before an announced crowd of 3,135, featured a familiar foil–the rim. For the fourth consecutive game, the Sky (1-5) shot worse than 35 percent. Amanda Lassiter, whose team-high 20 points came on 7-for-14 shooting, was the only starter to shoot at least 50 percent.
Thanks to the jumble of new players, point guard Elaine Powell’s shin splints and few true scorers, the offense lacks cohesiveness. For now call them the Sky Lites.
“The talent is there,” Lassiter claimed. “But this is a brand-new team. Nobody really has played together. It’s just a matter of getting everyone together, taking bits and pieces here and there. We’re going to figure it out. Hopefully sooner than later.”
As frustrating is the bad timing. When Detroit (4-2) shot 27.8 percent in the third quarter, after building a 43-34 halftime lead, the Sky countered with only 35.3 efficiency in the period.
When the Sky’s offense flowed at the start of the fourth quarter–three straight field goals, including a four-point play from Lassiter on a banked three-pointer–Detroit hit four straight and extended its lead back to nine.
“It’s not like they lit us up,” Cowens said. “They just made them when it was tight.”
Cowens apparently solved the problems of slow starts by altering his starters for the fourth straight game. The Sky came out with vigor but little offense to go with it, and that isn’t a personnel switcheroo away.
“We’re playing teams that are better than we are,” Cowens said. “We’re playing teams that have won championships. We’re trying to hang in there. We’re trying to find ourselves.”
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bchamilton@tribune.com
