Chicago City Wire

The Chicago Sky will begin their 2025 regular season with a game against the Indiana Fever in Indianapolis on May 17 at 2 p.m. This matchup is the first of five scheduled games between the two teams this year. Last season, the Sky had a record of 1-3 against Indiana, with three of those games being decided by fewer than ten points.

In preparation for this season, Chicago focused on improving its three-point shooting and playmaking abilities, areas where they struggled last year. Courtney Vandersloot will return to the Sky after spending two seasons in New York.

Several new players are expected to make their debut for Chicago in Saturday's game. The team acquired Ariel Atkins during the offseason; she is expected to contribute both spacing and defense. Kia Nurse started all three preseason games and aims to be a significant deep threat throughout the season.

Chicago also added Rebecca Allen through a trade and drafted Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld. The team finished the preseason with a 2-1 record.

Saturday’s game will also mark Tyler Marsh's debut as head coach of the Sky. Marsh previously worked as an assistant coach for Las Vegas.

The Indiana Fever made several roster changes after losing in the first round of last year's playoffs. They hired Stephanie White, former head coach of Connecticut Sun, and added All-Star veterans DeWanna Bonner and Natasha Howard to their lineup.

Indiana ended last regular season strong with a 19-12 run after a difficult start, finishing with an even 20-20 record.

A key focus for Saturday’s game will be on Chicago's defense. Observations from their preseason games highlighted their effective defensive pressure both on- and off-ball across all players. This defensive strategy led opponents like the Brazilian National Team and Minnesota Lynx to frequently reset their offenses.

The development of young talents such as Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, combined with experienced perimeter players like Atkins, Nurse, and Allen, positions Chicago as a team with potential strengths on both offense and defense. Facing Indiana's high-ranking offense from last year presents an exciting challenge for Chicago in this opening match of the regular season.