By Sarah Disbro 

The Sky ended July eager to get back in the win column, but despite their record July brought plenty of positives for the team moving forward. Here is one area the Sky could improve in and five takeaways from the month as Chicago starts August with a four-game home stretch. 

Area of Improvement: Turnovers 

With the Sky’s win over the Lynx, and their game against the Fever where they erased a 16-point deficit, Chicago has proven they can be competitive with any team in the league. As a team, the Sky have struggled with turnovers, which has resulted in teams turning takeaways into points. The Sky are currently last in the league, averaging 17.4 turnovers per game, but have been able to protect the ball at different points in the season. Chicago has also been able to get wins, despite their turnovers, against teams like Minnesota and Dallas. As the Sky head into August look for them to focus on ball-protection and limiting their turnovers. 

Five Takeaways From July: 

1) The Sky’s Win Over the Lynx

Chicago faced its northern neighbor four times last month, playing all their games against Minnesota in a two week span. The Sky got a statement win over the Lynx, who currently have the best record in the league, at home on July 12. Chicago dominated Minnesota on the glass and in the paint behind Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso both recording double-doubles. The win was a total team effort, highlighted by Ariel Atkins’ 27 points on 57.1% shooting from the field. Rachel Banham added 12 points and five assists while shooting 42.9% from three-point. The win over the Lynx showed Chicago can compete with any team in the league on any given night, a confidence boost the team will have going into August. 

2) The “Sky Scrapers” Being Automatic Double-Doubles

The duo of Reese and Cardoso continued to be vital for the Sky as they combined for 11 double-doubles in the month of July. Both players have upped their production in their second seasons in the league, showing growth and versatility in all areas of their games. Cardoso recorded four double-doubles during the month, which included a career-high 15 rebounds in the win over Minnesota. For the month she averaged 12.0 points and 10.0 rebounds. Cardoso also recorded a season-high four assists in the win over Dallas. 

Reese, who made her second All-Star appearance in the WNBA All-Star game in July, had a double-double in all seven games she appeared in the month. She currently is on a 12-game double-double streak, becoming the first player in the WNBA to have multiple double-double streaks of 10 or more. During the month of July Reese averaged 17.9 points, 12.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists, while shooting 53.7% from the field. 

3) Banham’s Impact on Offense

Banham is on track to average the most points per game in her career as she has been a leader for the Sky all season. In July, Banham had a breakout month averaging 14.3 points and 2.5 assists while shooting 43.2% from three-point. She doubled her points production in July compared to averaging 6.3 points through the first two months of the season. Not only was Banham finding success from deep, but she also shot 45.6% from the field. Banham’s month was capped off by a season-high 26 points and five assists against the Fever at the United Center, which included six made three-pointers. Banham’s impact from three has opened up the floor for the offense, allowing for the Sky to utilize Reese and Cardoso even more in July. 

4) Sky’s Defense of the Three-Point Line

Last month the Sky’s defense held their opponents to just 33.9% from three-point, the lowest Chicago has forced teams all season. This included holding Minnesota below their season average three times. In Chicago’s back-to-back wins over the Lynx and Dallas they defended the three-point line effectively, as their opponents averaged 30.1% from three. This marked an effort and focus from the team to disrupt their opponents from deep, which is a good sign moving forward into August. 

5) New Signing Looking to Make an Impact

July saw the Sky have a couple of players out with injuries, which resulted in the team signing Sevgi Uzun to a rest-of-season contract. Uzun played last season with Dallas starting in 19 games and appearing in all 40. She adds depth and experience to the guard position, while being a threat both on offense and defense. Look for the addition of Uzun to allow Banham to play more off-ball and alleviate the pressure teams may put on the Sky guards.