Sky Overseas Updates: Rundown No. 3
CHICAGO (November 6, 2023) — Ten Chicago Sky players are currently participating in domestic or overseas play this offseason. Below are the listed players, their respective teams, league and country.
View all the below information and more on our overseas website here.
- Marina Mabrey — CBK Mersin Yenisehir Belediyesi (Turkey-KBSL, Turkey)
- Elizabeth Williams — CBK Mersin Yenisehir Belediyesi (Turkey-KBSL, Turkey)
- Dana Evans — Besiktas JK Istanbul (Turkey-KBSL, Turkey)
- Alanna Smith — Emlak Konut Istanbul (Turkey-KBSL, Turkey),
- Morgan Bertsch — Spar CityLift Girona (Spain-LF Endesa, Spain)
- Taylor Soule — Fila San Martino Di Lupari (Italy-Serie A1, Italy)
- Sika Koné — Perfumerias Avenida Salamance (Spain-LF Endesa, Spain)
- Robyn Parks — Beretta Famila Schio (Italy-Serie A1, Italy)
- Courtney Williams — Shaanxi Red Wolves (Weinan, Shaanxi, China)
- Kahleah Copper — USA Basketball Women’s National Team exhibition roster
Besiktas and Dana Evans had a big week, winning both of their games by a combined 86 points. After playing for all of regulation for six games in a row, Evans played just 27 minutes in an 87-43 EuroCup victory over Slavia BB, scoring 12 points. She followed that up with a typical 40-minute game, recording game highs of 29 points, nine assists and two steals, as well as nine rebounds.
Evans shot 46.7% on her 15 three-point attempts this week, bringing her up to a 42.2% clip from distance this overseas season. She has hit multiple three-pointers in all but one of her games. In total, Evans is averaging 25.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Besiktas doesn’t have a game scheduled for next week, next playing on Nov. 16 against Fenerbahce.
Kahleah Copper suited up for USA Basketball’s Women’s National Team exhibition team, as the latest addition to the Sky’s expanding list of players participating in organized play over the summer.
Copper and the rest of Team USA took on the University of Tennessee in their first Exhibition game on Nov. 5, winning 95-59. Copper earned the start for the national team and finished as the third-highest scorer for the team, finishing with 12 points to go along with four rebounds, three assists and two steals. Copper also led the team in minutes. Team USA is slated for another exhibition game on Nov. 12 against Duke University.
In between Team USA’s slate of exhibition games, Copper is also participating in Team USA’s training camp in Atlanta from Nov. 7-9. These events serve to evaluate the 2021-24 USA Women’s National Team player pool prior to naming the 2024 Paris Olympics roster.
Though Schio only played one game this week, Robyn Parks had a huge performance on Halloween against Lyon. Parks scored a season-high 20 points, which led all scorers in the game. Her performance helped Schio secure a 26-point victory, moving to 7-3 on the season across both EuroLeague and Italian League play.
Parks is continuing to heat up from the three-point line, connecting at a 37.0% clip from downtown so far this season. She’s shooting 52.9% from long distance in her last four games and 63.6% in her last three.
Schio and Parks resume play on Nov. 12 with an Italian League game against Bologna.
Morgan Bertsch and Girona keep finding ways to find, winning six EuroCup and Spanish League games in a row and having lost just once since Bertsch’s arrival. She had a game-high 15 points in a big win over Jairis on Nov. 3 and recorded three blocks and three steals in the victory. On Nov. 1, she had eight points, four assists, two blocks and two steals in a 20-point win over T71. Bertsch’s next scheduled game falls on Nov. 16.
Sika Koné recorded her third triple-double this overseas season on Nov. 3 against Estudiantes with CB Avenida. She tallied game highs of 15 points and 12 rebounds in that game, helping Avenida to a five-point victory. On Halloween, she also had a game-high 15 points, but Avenida fell. Koné and Avenida don’t play again until Nov. 16.
Mersin continued its winning ways behind the efforts of Marina Mabrey and Elizabeth Williams, winning both its games this week. Mabrey had the best game of her season on Nov. 4 against Antalya, hitting five of her 11 three-point attempts en route to a season-high 29 points. She also pulled down seven boards and dished out six assists.
Mabrey had another strong game on Nov. 1 against Bologna, scoring 23 points, six rebounds and six assists. On the season, she’s averaging 20.1 points, 6.0 rebounds and 5.3 assists. She’s also connecting on 35.1% of her deep-ball attempts across her last three games.
Williams also had a solid week, scoring 11 points on Nov. 1 and then eight points on Nov. 4. While she isn’t taking many shots, Williams is impacting the game in other ways, including by averaging 2.0 blocks and 1.6 steals per game. Mersin, Mabrey and Williams are next scheduled to play on Nov. 16 against Kayseri.
Taylor Soule’s defense is wreaking havoc this season, as she recorded five steals against Brescia on Nov. 3. She’s now averaging 2.8 steals per game this season as San Martino improved to 4-1 in Italian League play. Soule also registered seven points in that game. She next plays on Nov. 12 against Venezia.
Winners of three in a row, Emlak moved to 8-5 on the year across both Turkish League and EuroCup play. This week, Alanna Smith averaged 10.0 points and 6.5 rebounds. She’s heating up from beyond the arc in her past few games, hitting 57.1% of her threes in her last three games. Emlak is next scheduled to play on Nov. 19.
Though the record doesn’t indicate it, Shaanxi has turned its fortunes around with the arrival of Courtney Williams. Since Williams joined the team, the Red Wolves are 3-3 but are a +21 in those six games compared to going 1-4 and being a -58 in the four games before.
Williams and Shaanxi came close to knocking off a good Zhejiang team, losing 68-70. Williams scored 21 points and six rebounds in that game, including hitting a game-tying shot in the final seconds of the game before Cheyenne Parker wound up winning it for Zhejiang. She scored 19 points and recorded seven rebounds and seven assists on Nov. 5.
Williams is averaging 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 5.6 assists. She is next scheduled to take the court on Nov. 8 against Guangdong.
Chicago Sky players currently overseas are a combined 50-17 (.746 win percentage) with their teams so far this season when joining their team.
HOW TO WATCH:
EuroLeague games can be viewed here.
EuroCup games can be viewed here.