SEATTLE — More change has found the Sky this season. Except this time, it was the good kind.
On Saturday morning, ahead of the Sky’s 90-75 victory against the Storm, the team announced two coaching hires, and both have a history with the organization.
Proviso West alum and former Sky assistant Awvee Storey rejoined the team as director of basketball, strategy and personnel after four seasons on former Sun coach Curt Miller’s staff in Connecticut beginning in 2019. He spent the 2017 season with the Sky before coaching in the G League in 2018.
Skills trainer Jeff Pagliocca, who worked closely with Courtney Vandersloot in her last two seasons with the Sky, was hired as director of skills development. Pagliocca also has been working individually with three-time All-Star Kahleah Copper this season.
“Conversations were happening around the time that James Wade took the amazing job opportunity with the Raptors,” Storey said. “Trying to figure out what role, what interests that I have. Trying to understand what the need was here, not to just be another body.”
Storey said the hope is that this will be a long-term opportunity, not a temporary position through the end of the season.
Ann Crosby, one of the team’s longest-tenured employees, is serving as the Sky’s vice president of basketball operations and as the team’s strength and conditioning coach. Storey said that he’ll be learning from her in his role.
“Coming in midseason is hard,” Storey said. “It’s my first time experiencing this, so things have already been in place. We’re still developing what exactly this role looks like entirely. But, again, it goes back to bridging gaps, communication and building a foundation.”
The most significant difference between the loss to the Mercury on Thursday and this game was the Sky’s ability to withstand runs. Copper scored a game-high 29 points, Marina Mabrey added 22 and Alanna Smith had nine points and 17 rebounds. Jewell Loyd of the Storm was held to 12 points and shot 2-for-11 from the field.
Stats a fact for Williams
With her fourth rebound against the Mercury, Elizabeth Williams made history, becoming the ninth player in the WNBA with at least 2,000 points, 1,500 rebounds, 400 blocks, 300 assists and 200 steals. She achieved the milestone in 259 games, according to WNBA stat site Across The Timeline.
Williams is third on the Sky in rebounds, averaging 5.6. She also is averaging 9.5 points and 1.7 blocks.
She had four points and eight rebounds against the Storm.
