Sky still ironing out details in preseason loss to Mercury

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. — Coach Tyler Marsh wanted ball movement and player movement to be the emphasis in the Sky’s first preseason game, and in the first quarter, it looked OK.

Their most consistent action was finding center Kamilla Cardoso off slips, but much of their scoring in the quarter came in isolation, particularly from Rickea Jackson.

In the second quarter, the movement improved, and the Sky found Rachel Banham for three open 3-pointers.

“At times we did get stagnant,” Banham said after the game. “We’re still figuring out how we’re going to move together and move the ball.”

One thing the game foreshadowed was that 3-point volume could be an issue for the Sky offense. It’s hard to create movement if defenses don’t have to respect the 3-point line. The Sky shot only 16 3-pointers to the Mercury’s 34.

They can always count on Banham for the three-ball, but the offseason was more oriented around adding players who can get to the rim, like Jackson and Skylar Diggins, rather than volume shooters.

Having stretch big Azurá Stevens, who is out with a knee injury, will help, but likely not enough to fully solve the issue.

On the defensive end, Marsh hasn’t yet laid out exactly the style they want to play, and the game didn’t make it clear, either.

They gave up more than 50 points in the first half — and 19 alone to Mercury wing Kahleah Copper.

To be fair, defense didn’t seem to be anyone’s priority Saturday, with the Mercury winning 108-104.

Strong showing from Hailey Van Lith

Both teams sat their starters in the second half, instead giving minutes to players fighting for final roster spots. Sky combo guard Hailey Van Lith got plenty of reps with this group. She dropped 20 points on 8-for-8 shooting, with the mid-range looking lethal.

“My first stint out there I just wanted to get my legs under me, run up and down and feel the physicality,” Van Lith said after the game. “Then I was looking for the mid-range the second time. Watching Skylar pick them apart in the mid-range in the first half, I knew it would probably be there for me, too.”

She spent the offseason rehabbing an ankle injury that hampered her rookie year.

“I’ve worked hard at things I need to get better at to play more in control and make better reads,” Van Lith said.

Why Sioux Falls?

Mercury coach Nate Tibbetts grew up in South Dakota and coached in the G League for the Miami Heat’s affiliate, the Sioux Falls Skyforce. Their arena has looked to recruit more high-profile games, so it reached out to Tibbetts.

“It’s been really fun for my wife, Lindsay, and me,” Tibbetts said before the game. “We’ve bounced around so much chasing the game of basketball from team to team, city to city. To come home and have people put their arm around you and say they’re proud of you, it’s pretty cool.”