Sky's Three Keys to Victory vs. Mercury
The Chicago Sky put up a fight but lost a tough battle against one of the league's best on Monday night against the Las Vegas Aces 79-74. The Sky have another tough battle coming up Thursday night as they travel out west to take on the Phoenix Mercury.
The Sky have lost all three matchups this season against the Mercury. They lost 94-89, 107-86 and 83-67 respectively. They look to take this fourth and final matchup between the two clubs and get on the board in the season series.
But there are a few things that will really help the Sky defeat the Mercury in a tough road contest on Thursday night. The Mercury are third place in the Western Conference, one game behind the Las Vegas Aces, and are a team that is super stingy so the Sky will have to be ready.
Key number 1: The Sky must keep an eye on the Mercury's top players
For whatever reason in most games that the Sky have played this year, they have lost track of the opposing team's star players. The Sky let Jackie Young and Aja Wilson score a combined 40 points in their loss on Monday night.
They have to be aware of Alyssa Thomas and Satou Sabally who really like to shoot the ball and put up a lot of points per game. Sabally scores 16.9 points per game and Thomas scores 15.9 points per game.
The Sky need to have players like Ariel Atkins and Kamilla Cardoso play solid defense against them. They cannot let them get easy shots and make the easy buckets or it is game over just like that. The Sky need to be mindful.
Key number 2: Rachel Banham needs to step it up
Banham has scored 5, 3, 8, and 3 points in each of her last 4 games and that does not bode well for the Sky's chances of upsetting the Mercury. Banham is one on the Sky that really likes to shoot and she needs to make some shots.
The Mercury are a tough team. They have been a tough out for years now, and continue to prove it year-after-year even after Diana Taurasi stepped down and Brittney Griner left the team. If the Sky are to be successful in this one, they really need Banham.
Not to say that the Sky's other players like Angel Reese among others do not need to do their part, but the Sky really need Banham. They really need her to prove why she belongs on the roster come the 2026 season.
Key number 3: Turnovers turnovers turnovers
No matter if the Sky win or lose a game, they are always losing the turnover battle. No matter the night, no matter the opponent, they are always turning the ball over more than their opposition.
The way that the Sky turn the ball over so much, is just asking for them to lose this tough contest against the Mercury on Thursday night. The Mercury can really put games out of reach or really make you pay if you turn the ball over to them.
The Sky really need to be mindful and ready to go from the start of the game. They need to watch the other team's top players, need to get better production from Banham and others, and need to not turn the ball over so much. If all three of these happen, watch for the Sky to potentially pull off the upset.
Tyler is a 25 year old Journalism graduate from Georgia Southern University. Tyler is a big fan of hockey, baseball, basketball, and football, and also is a staff writer for Fansided.