Chicago Sky point guard Courtney Williams embodies the turnaround her team has shown in the last week despite a coaching change in the process.
Williams averaged 4.8 points per contest during the Sky’s recent six-game losing streak. She is now the WNBA’s Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 20.3 points per contest during the recent three-game winning streak for Chicago (8-9).
Williams will face her former team, the Atlanta Dream, on Friday in the first of two consecutive home games against them. The teams also play Sunday.
Chicago’s interim coach and general manager Emre Vatansever, who took over for James Wade after the latter left to join the NBA’s Toronto Raptors as an assistant, won his first game by leading the Sky to last Sunday’s 89-87 win over the host Indiana Fever.
“It’s just overwhelming,” Vatansever said. “It’s a lot of things to do. It’s not just the coaching part. It’s also the GM part. I would never have thought I’d take over the GM part, too.
“We’re ready for an unexpected situation. This happened all of the sudden and you just step up and take the lead.”
Williams, who is also averaging a career-high 6.1 assists, scored a season-best 28 points in the win over the Fever.
Chicago forward Ruthy Hebard, who gave birth to son Xzavier less than three months ago, is cleared to return to action.
Atlanta (8-8) is also on a three-game winning streak after losing three consecutive games.
Allisha Gray scored 23 points, Cheyenne Parker had 14 points and 11 rebounds in a 90-79 win at the Los Angeles Sparks on Wednesday.
Rhyne Howard, coming off a career-high 43 points in a 112-84 win over the Sparks in Atlanta on Sunday, finished with 15 points on Wednesday.
Howard was not selected to the WNBA All-Star Game, a snub that motivates her.
“I was already mad … and it just kept flowing,” Howard said of her 43-point performance. “There was some words said on the other end so it just kept me going … They need to put some respect on my name.”
The Dream and Sky will play for the second time this season.
In the first meeting May 30 at Atlanta, the Dream won 83-65 behind 20 points from Howard. Dana Evans scored 11 points for the Sky.
–Field Level Media
