WNBA 2019 season preview: All eyes on new Sky GM and coach James Wade

Entering his first season as the Sky’s general manager and coach, James Wade has had to learn on the fly a lot over the last few months.

His biggest surprise?

“The interviews,” he quipped.

Hilarious.

All jokes aside, Wade finds himself thinking more strategically than in previous seasons.

“The biggest thing is that you have to think two steps ahead, you can’t just stay in the moment,” Wade said. “You have to have an open mind to more things because you might feel one way on Monday, and it might change later in the week.”

During his tenure in the WNBA, Wade, who previously was as an assistant with the Lynx, has never had so many responsibilities. Not only is his job to help the team win but also to lure fans to Wintrust Arena this summer.

Wade believes the two objectives are connected.

“I’ve talked to the coaches before — winning puts people in the seats,” he said.

The WNBA fan base has grown significantly over the last few years. Last season, viewership across ESPN networks and NBA TV were up 31%. Digital subscriptions to LeaguePass increased 39%.

This season, CBS Sports Network will broadcast 40 regular-season games. The WNBA also will have games streamed live on Twitter and air on ESPN networks, making the games more accessible for casual fans.

As the WNBA prepares to tip off its 23rd season Friday, the league is without several marquee players.

At least seven of the WNBA’s biggest stars will miss part or all of the season due to injuries or personal reasons, including reigning league MVP Breanna Stewart, 11-time All-Star Sue Bird and four-time champion Maya Moore.

Their absences, along with Dream forward Angel McCoughtry, Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, Wings forward Skylar Diggins-Smith and Sparks forward Candace Parker, could cause a shift in the landscape.

The defending champion Storm’s hopes to repeat are in jeopardy as they’re without two star players — Bird (knee) and Stewart (Achilles) — and coach Dan Hughes, who recently was diagnosed with cancer.

That opens the door for the Mystics and the Aces, who seem to be the favorites to win the title. However, the Mystics, who finished second in the Eastern Conference last season, might be without star Elena Delle Donne. She’s questionable to play this weekend with a left knee injury.

Wade said he keeps a close eye on what’s happening around the league.

“You can’t help but pay attention to it, but you don’t let it dictate how you respond to your team,” Wade said. “I can only control what’s going on here.”

Wade is welcoming back a similar roster to last season with six players who have three or fewer seasons of experience. There will be growing pains, but he has had a sense of urgency since he was hired in November.

“We don’t have a choice but to be a winning team,” Wade said. “So that’s what we’re trying to do, and we’re trying to build that.”

Guard Diamond DeShields feels the Sky might be underrated, though she said that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

“We like the position that we’re in,” DeShields said. “It gives us the chance to not have to live up to too many expectations, but also I think we’re going to surprise a lot of people this season.”

Center Stefanie Dolson also is confident that this season will be different with Wade at the helm.

“Coming into this year we have a lot of — although young players — returning players,” Dolson said. “We already have this chemistry built. And the way that coach Wade has come in has been very seamless, and our intensity has already gone up.”

For now, the Sky are embracing the underdog role.

“If people underestimate us, I feel sorry for them because I think we’re going to throw a pretty solid punch,” Dolson said.

NOTE:Wade finalized his 12-player roster Thursday by waiving point guards Linnae Harper and Hind Ben Abdelkader and forward Victoria Macaulay.