Parker scores 16 in her debut
‘It felt like home. It really did,’ Naperville native says
Everything changed for the Chicago Sky when Candace Parker decided to leave the Los Angeles Sparks to return home.
Parker, a Naperville native and all-world talent, parted ways with the Sparks after 13 years, a WNBA title, two MVP awards and five All-Star appearances.
The changes in Chicago were hard to miss as Parker made her Sky debut Saturday in a 70-56 road win over the Washington Mystics.
Parker scored 16 points with eight rebounds, four assists and three blocks. She was accompanied by Kahleah Copper, who scored 19 points and grabbed eight rebounds.
Parker said it didn’t take much time to get ingratiated with her new teammates.
“I feel home, I feel at home on the court,” Parker said, “and then to actually be in your home jersey and with players you’ve grown up playing with, it’s a joy. But at the same time you kind of get lost in the game.
“There’s the same people that are wearing the same jersey that you’re wearing, and now those people are your teammates. That’s what it felt like out there tonight. It felt like home. It really did.”
Parker’s comfort showed. She affected the game on all levels, utilizing her passing ability to drive the offense, spacing the court with three 3-pointers and anchoring the defense.
On defense was where one of the real shifts could be seen. The Sky started the game in a competitive back and forth with the Mystics and led 22-19 after the first quarter.
But the Sky gained separation in the second quarter when they turned up the defense and road a balanced attack on offense that included 15 field goals on 14 assists. They limited the Mystics to 11 points in the quarter and led 46-30 to close the half.
The Mystics made an effort to close the gap to start the second half, whittling the Sky lead to 46-36 behind a 6-0 run that included buckets from Natasha Cloud, Ariel Atkins and Theresa Plaisance.
But Parker and Copper held the Mystics at bay. Courtney Vandersloot and Diamond DeShields also chipped in with big 3-pointers. They both had a quiet day with three points and seven points, respectively. Allie Quigley had a similar experience with seven points on 2-of-9 shooting.
“In a different situation that could cost us the game,” Parker said of the Sky’s third quarter. “We always talk about how you don’t know the moment you’re going to win a championship or know the moment that you’re doing something that makes it so that you can win a championship.
“So you don’t know the moment in a game that’s going to really turn it around and give momentum because basketball is a game of momentum. In the third quarter, we have to figure it out. We have to come out with the same type of energy and effort that we had in that second quarter.”
Sky general manager and coach James Wade obviously had to field questions about Parker after her first game, but his focus remained on defense.
The Sky were formidable last season with Copper, Quigley and Vandersloot leading the way and pushing the Sky to the playoffs in the WNBA bubble. Yet Wade knows his team’s defense must take the next step to fully capitalize on the Parker acquisition.
“After the game, we talked a lot about our defensive mindset,” Wade said. “That’s how we were gauging our play. Of course, we wish that offensively we could find a little bit more fluidity in what we do and execute a little bit better as far as getting out on the breaks and stuff like that.
“But that’s going to come with time. The sense of urgency on the defensive side of the ball is probably something that we’re going to keep paying attention on and just trying to perform.”