The Three to See – 2013
Coming into the 2013 WNBA Draft, the Sky was slotted with the No. 2 pick in the draft. With that pick, the future of the organization changed dramatically when Pokey Chatman selected Elena Delle Donne out of the University of Delaware. Delle Donne came into the Draft with much notoriety having been part of ESPN’s “Three to See” along with Brittney Griner and Skylar Diggins.
Along with the section of Delle Donne in the 2013 WNBA Draft, the Sky selected Brooklyn Pope with the No. 34 pick. The Sky also bolstered their roster by signing free agents Sharnee Zoll-Norman and free agent Michelle Campbell.
The team began the 2013 campaign with an 85-67 victory in their only preseason game against the New York Liberty, which would jumpstart a winning trend to open the season.
The beginning of the 2013 season would also signal the introduction of new assistant coach Wayne “Tree” Rollins. Rollins had a successful 18-year NBA career, playing for the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic. In Rollins’ 1,156 game appearances, he averaged 2.2 blocked shots per game and received NBA All-Defensive First and Second Team honors.
The Sky opened the regular season with great intensity winning seven out of the team’s first ten games including a May 27th 102-80 win over a stacked Phoenix Mercury squad.
With the new additions of Rollins to the coaching staff and the collection of new players along with returning stars Courtney Vandersloot, Sylvia Fowles, Swin Cash and Epiphanny Prince, the Sky were ready to tackle the regular season and prove that it was up for the challenge to do to secure their first ever playoff berth.