Underdogs no more, Sky carry confidence into WNBA playoffs as they seek 2nd straight title

CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky entered this season with a neon target on their backs.

It’s a burden for any team that wins a title in the WNBA, a league in which teams rarely repeat — and often struggle to get back to the Finals in consecutive seasons.

Winning back-to-back titles hasn’t been accomplished in two decades since the Los Angeles Sparks did it in 2001 and 2002. But with the No. 2 seed in the playoffs after a franchise-record 26-win regular season, the Sky are well-positioned to run it back.

This footing was nearly unimaginable a year ago for the Sky, who open their best-of-three first-round series against the seventh-seeded New York Liberty on Wednesday night at Wintrust Arena. But captain Courtney Vandersloot believes the shift from unexpected underdog to reigning powerhouse won’t change her team’s mentality.

“Last year, we felt like our backs were against the wall,” Vandersloot said. “This year, we obviously want to win, but we have the confidence that we have the group to do it. We know what it takes.”

This time last year, the Sky weren’t even sure if they would make the playoffs.

A loss to the Minnesota Lynx on Aug. 21 had dropped their record to 11-12. After a heralded homecoming, Candace Parker was battling her way back onto the court, having missing a third of the season with ankle injuries. It wasn’t clear if the Sky had enough in the tank to break even on the season, let alone reach the postseason.

Coach James Wade felt last year’s roster still was defining its style of play in the early rounds of the playoffs.

“It’s a different team, different year, different expectations,” Wade said. “Last year around this time, we had a losing record and we were still trying to find out who we were. We started this season off, and after five or six games we kind of figured it out.”

This year’s success began with a series of offseason transactions: re-signing Vandersloot after a heated negotiation period; signing free agent Emma Meesseman, who had been a teammate of Sky players in Russia; and reinforcing the bench with Julie Allemand and Rebekah Gardner.

Bringing in Meesseman — a two-time WNBA All-Star and former Finals MVP who averaged 12.4 points and 5.5 rebounds this season — was the final piece of a loaded roster. After she signed, reigning Finals MVP Kahleah Copper felt the Sky reached “super team” status.

“I was like, ‘I can’t believe they’re going to let us do this,’ ” Copper joked in July during an All-Star Game news conference.

Defending a title is a different game, and the Sky are aware of the pressure looming over this year’s postseason.

Their underdog status last year honed a competitive edge in the locker room. But Copper said this year’s motivation is even better — the hunger of a team sitting at the top that doesn’t plan to let its position slip.

“It’s tough because it can go either way,” Copper said. “Last year we didn’t feel the best going into the playoffs. Now I know we’re feeling good. It feels good to be confident. Everything is going right. We’re playing our best basketball and there’s also so much room for improvement.”

Despite their franchise-best 26-10 record, the Sky have been far from indomitable.

They struggled to hold leads throughout the season, often slipping into third-quarter stalls that left them scrambling to hold off comebacks at the final buzzer. They finished the season on a 1-2 skid with resounding losses at the hands of the Seattle Storm (111-100) and Las Vegas Aces (89-78).

Vandersloot and Copper believe the Sky have another level to unlock — an exciting prospect for a team hoping to peak with a second straight title.

“The motivation is a little bit different just because we do feel like we have another level,” Vandersloot said. “We haven’t really put it all together yet. ... Our ceiling is so high.

“It feels good to always know that you have something to improve on, you have something every day to look forward to. That is something really good for us. It keeps us humble.”