Coach Tyler Marsh has started working hands-on with Azurá Stevens after the forward struggled to make three-pointers since returning from injury, a slump that has also dragged the Sky’s overall shooting and free-throw performance.
On a regular day after shootaround, Tyler Marsh reached into his player-development bag and worked directly with Azurá Stevens—hands on her routine, watching details like footwork, then shaping the next reps.
The reason is plain. The Sky signed Stevens to an expensive three-year deal to help space the floor around young center Kamilla Cardoso. That part of the plan hasn’t taken hold yet. Stevens has made only 6 of her first 40 three-point attempts since returning from injury.
“I’ve been working on trying to get more reps and seeing the ball go through,” Stevens told the Sun-Times earlier this week. “Just remembering that I can shoot. It’s hard when you don’t have shots going in. It’s really frustrating.”
Marsh, now a player-development specialist with the Sky, previously tinkered with the Aces’ offense as a skills coach on Becky Hammon’s staff in Las Vegas. In Chicago, he’s trying to keep the problem from becoming a bigger one—confidence, especially.
After the Sky’s win against the Fire, Marsh noticed small things he wanted to address with Stevens, including her footwork, as she tries to find her rhythm from deep.
“We don’t want her confidence to waver,” Marsh said. “I think she’s been turning down some open ones, and she’s missed some open ones. But we don’t want that to discourage her.
“Obviously, in this world, being a head coach, it’s a little bit harder to find individual time to be on the floor, especially in season, so you try to pick and choose and find the moments for it.”
The attention isn’t limited to Marsh. General manager Jeff Pagliocca—formerly a skills trainer—has also been in the mix. After shootaround in Connecticut, Pagliocca served up passes to Stevens. The two have been discussing what Stevens should focus on when she gets open. a steady. practical approach meant to translate into faster decisions and cleaner looks during games.
Stevens has been improving elsewhere, which makes the three-point struggles feel even sharper. After a slow start on the glass, she is averaging eight rebounds over the last five games. She’s also developing a high-low connection with Cardoso and averaging 3.2 assists in that span.
But shooting remains the key. Stevens isn’t the only one fighting through it. After a brief hot stretch spearheaded by Skylar Diggins and Sydney Taylor, the Sky have fallen back to a league-worst 23.6% from three-point range over their last three games.
The shooting issues have also followed the team to the free-throw line.
Backup center Elizabeth Williams is shooting 37% from the line, worst in the league among qualifying players. Her form has a hitch: She rises onto her tiptoes, pauses, then releases while coming back down.
Williams told the Sun-Times on Wednesday that she is trying to adjust her process this season. She removed the dribble from her routine to create more fluidity.
“I’ve had different coaches try to modify [my free throws], but I think now it’s just getting it right,” Williams said. “Once I get it right, then the numbers will reflect that.”
As a team, the Sky shoot only 75% from the line, which has cost them games. Still, unlike some of their other problems, this one should be fixable.
The timing matters as Chicago heads into the next stretch. The Sky will close their homestand against the Aces on Sunday afternoon at the United Center. their first of two games there this season. The move fits a larger WNBA trend: Teams that usually play in small or mid-sized arenas are moving select games into larger buildings. The Sky sold out both games at the United Center last season.
WNBA Chicago Sky Azurá Stevens Tyler Marsh Kamilla Cardoso three-point shooting free throws Elizabeth Williams Jeff Pagliocca United Center Aces