New faces on Chicago Sky look to defy expectations for upcoming WNBA season
CHICAGO (CBS) – Last season, the Chicago Sky were a couple of minutes away from a repeat trip to the WNBA Finals.
Now, the team is getting ready for a season with 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Cooper as the only returning starter. CBS 2's Matt Zahn had more on a team still getting to know each other.
The Sky had a special guest at their media day, Ruthy Hebard's newborn baby, Xzavier. Hebard gave birth less than a month ago and isn't going through full contact practice yet, but she's already focused on fully getting back on the court.
"I think I'm just really motivated," Hebard said. "I want to be able to play with this team and help out this year, so just taking it day by day."
As for how soon she expects to be playing? Hebard said, "As soon as I can. I've been running with Anne on the court and been lifting and shooting, getting into some drills with the team, so I'm hoping to be back soon."
Xzavier is not the team's only new face. The Sky have a revamped roster with holdovers like Copper and Gary's Dana Evans taking on more leadership while newcomers like Courtney Williams try to carry on that championship culture.
"James brought up a championship culture, but ... they got a whole different team," said Williams. "We're new. I think it's just bringing it every day. That's how you create that culture."
Copper said, "There's a lot of personalities that I love. It's a lot of competitiveness that I love. I like to play with people who I know I can look to my side and go to war with." She added she's excited to embrace "this new chapter of Chicago Sky basketball."
With not much in terms of high expectations, head coach and general manager James Wade said the team is going to try to cause some chaos, and pretty much every player said they are motivated to prove their doubters wrong.
"It's multiple outlets that picked us tenth," Wade said. "They even got down to saying we're going to win 15-and-a-half games. I have never won a half-a-game in this league. So we're motivated and we have that dog in us."