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The Chicago Sky played their first minutes of the preseason in front of their fans — and against a WNBA opponent — on Tuesday night at Wintrust Arena, beating the Minnesota Lynx 74-69.
Preseason games always are accompanied by caveats — this was the first for the Lynx, who were playing without All-Star Kayla McBride. But the game showcased an important mix of potential and points of growth for the Sky as they develop around their core of young stars.
Here are three takeaways from the win.
1. Kamilla Cardoso flashed her offensive potential.
The first two plays were textbook examples of how the Sky want to score this season. Point guard Courtney Vandersloot found Cardoso cutting after driving to the rim, then Vandersloot dished to Cardoso for a post-up on the ensuing possession.
Cardoso went 5-for-7 from the field for 10 points. Her shooting profile highlighted the importance of her relationship with Vandersloot, who created ample opportunities for the center.
For this offense to work, Cardoso needs to take a step forward as a scorer. That doesn’t mean overly hefty expectations — Vandersloot said no player on the roster is expected to be a regular 20-point scorer. But if Cardoso can average double digits, it would help to balance an offense predicated on inside-out play between the frontcourt and perimeter.
The Sky want Cardoso moving quickly into her roll to utilize her speed advantage, which allows her to beat a hedging defender to the rim or create a seal off the mismatched switch. But at times, this means Cardoso doesn’t make contact with her intended screening target, moving too quickly into the next action without creating the separation necessary for Vandersloot or another guard.
This is a main focus for Vandersloot, who is eagerly embracing her new partnership with the second-year center.
“I want to be able to hit her early so that she can really get into her stride,” Vandersloot said. “We’ve worked a lot on those angles because of how people guard me in the ball screen.
“Tonight she was really good, really physical in screening. She’s going to get layups — and I think she understands that — if she can screen the way she does.”
2. Hailey Van Lith met a new challenge.
This was the first “welcome to the league” moment for the rookie guard, who played 17 minutes and featured in what appears to be the main second unit.
The challenge came from two dogged defenders, Courtney Williams and Natisha Hiedeman, who smothered Van Lith on the perimeter. The Sky rookie struggled to cleanly connect her screens with the ball in her hands and couldn’t get her typical separation when cutting off the ball.
Photos: Chicago Sky beat Minnesota Lynx 74-69 at Wintrust Arena in preseason game
The result was a muted scoring performance from Van Lith — she missed her only shot in the three quarters with Hiedeman and Williams on the court — but she had three assists and no turnovers in that stretch.
“It’s tough,” coach Tyler Marsh said. “It’s a first real look at ‘W’ action, and those are certified WNBA guards. That’s the kind of pressure that she’s going to feel night in, night out.
“So it’s good to get her used to that tonight and we’ll make our adjustments. There’s nothing like true hands-on experience, and I’m sure she’ll learn from the minutes that she got today.”
Van Lith did thrive once she was playing against deep bench players and those on training-camp contracts in the final five minutes, ripping off a 3-pointer, two assists and a steal to help rally the Sky to the win.
That established an important baseline: Van Lith still has work to do to compete against top-echelon guards, but she has a significant competitive advantage against other players with similar experience. It’s a good sign for the Sky, who see Van Lith as a long-term project as they mold her into a backup point guard behind Vandersloot.
3. Who makes the cut?
Van Lith’s position appears secure after she played in the primary 10-player rotation Tuesday. But the game offered few other hints for potential cuts. The Sky have one final preseason game Saturday at Minnesota.
Marsh did not play Maddy Westbeld, Morgan Bertsch, Ally Wilson and Jessika Carter until the fourth quarter. Those four non-contracted players closed the final five minutes, with Westbeld moving into the three position to accommodate Bertsch at the four.
Westbeld struggled to get to her spots and did not take a shot. Wilson showed her ability to fit into the Sky’s new high-volume 3-point-shooting style, going 1-for-3 behind the arc in nine minutes. Carter also stood out with a clutch-time basket and a block.
The Sky still seem highest on Westbeld, the No. 16 pick in last month’s draft out of Notre Dame, as a backup power forward over Bertsch or Carter. But they could choose a slightly more versatile option with Wilson as a stretchy wing for the final roster spot.
Originally Published: May 7, 2025 at 1:44 PM CDT
