Chicago Sky/WNBA 2025 season thread

TheSuzerain · Post #1 » by **TheSuzerain** » Tue Jan 21, 2025 2:48 pm

Free agency starts today.

Looks like they are walking away from Chennedy Carter. On one hand, she is crazy. On the other, she was the best player on the team last year.

In any case, she made a bunch of anti-Sky/Angel tweets on the way out lol.

Betta Bulleavit · Post #2 » by **Betta Bulleavit** » Wed Jan 22, 2025 8:38 pm

TheSuzerain wrote:Free agency starts today.

Looks like they are walking away from Chennedy Carter. On one hand, she is crazy. On the other, she was the best player on the team last year.

In any case, she made a bunch of anti-Sky/Angel tweets on the way out lol.

Maybe I just haven’t followed the W enough. But what has Carter done that has caused her to become such a pariah across the league?? Her talent is unquestionable.

TheSuzerain · Post #3 » by **TheSuzerain** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:04 am

I'm not close enough either but I think the problems go back to college.

I was amazed they got her for basically free last year though. Seemed like a top 10 guard in the league signed off the street.

If she walks though, Sky take a step back imo. Just gaping holes on the perimeter.

Jeffster81 · Post #4 » by **Jeffster81** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:23 am

Well bye, Carter.

Dominator83 · Post #5 » by **Dominator83** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:56 am

They're just as laughably bad as the Bulls. Atleast they did get A championship recently though. But now they're always like Brooklyn.. they suck AND they don't control their 1st round picks

nomorezorro · Post #6 » by **nomorezorro** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:56 am

i fully believe that chennedy is an annoying personality to have to manage, but until something concrete leaks about her behavior in chicago then i'm inclined to believe the sky FO is just making a stupid personnel decision

it seems like they're having their hoiball moment right now — after building an absolutely tragic roster devoid of shooting, they've suddenly realized having people who can shoot the ball is a good thing, and they're intent on assembling a team who can do that. but...they're not actually particularly well positioned to build that team for the upcoming season — there's not a great shooter projected to be available with their top pick, and it's going to be hard to acquire any impact players in free agency with a new CBA looming after this year.

as a result, they're just letting chennedy walk for the crime of being a good interior scorer with no clear path to replace her impact. i read something saying they were talking to dijonai carrington, who is a neat player but another non-shooting guard who is also much worse at scoring than chennedy. (she's also a rfa, and based on what i've read it doesn't seem like there are good odds that she's even able to sign elsewhere.)

maybe they pull off a miracle and land someone like kelsey plum, or trade for jewell loyd, but my instinct is that the end result is that they will still have a roster devoid of shooting that also happens to be devoid of anyone who is as good at scoring the basketball as chennedy carter

Jvaughn · Post #7 » by **Jvaughn** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:17 pm

TheSuzerain wrote:I'm not close enough either but I think the problems go back to college.

I was amazed they got her for basically free last year though. Seemed like a top 10 guard in the league signed off the street.

If she walks though, Sky take a step back imo. Just gaping holes on the perimeter.

Yeah, that's a huge hole to fill. Her impact on the stat sheet, as well as her ability to energize the team with the effort she gave. Hopefully the Sky don't overthink the draft, and they pick Olivia Miles. I think she'll bring a nice continuity and flow to the offense.

Jeffster81 · Post #8 » by **Jeffster81** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 1:43 pm

nomorezorro wrote:i fully believe that chennedy is an annoying personality to have to manage, but until something concrete leaks about her behavior in chicago then i'm inclined to believe the sky FO is just making a stupid personnel decision

If the Sky is walking away from Carter (at this point will any team even offer her a one year deal?), then that tells me all I need to know what the organization thinks of Carter. Her talents is not worth the headaches.

Hangtime84 · Post #9 » by **Hangtime84** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 4:15 pm

TheSuzerain wrote:In any case, she made a bunch of anti-Sky/Angel tweets on the way out lol.

Angel ain’t good but Sky needs better talent so this is good

TheSuzerain · Post #10 » by **TheSuzerain** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 5:58 pm

Angel is very good.

Sky frontcourt isn't exactly 'modern' by NBA standards (essentially nobody's is other than I think the Lynx?). But it's going to be a definite strength provided Angel/Cardoso stay healthy.

Problem is they have got to have bottom 3 backcourt talent in the league. Just a bunch of bums without Carter.

Post #11 » by **DASMACKDOWN** » Thu Jan 23, 2025 7:13 pm

Well there obviously something wrong in that locker room. It seemed close in the cameras and post game. But its obviously more than meets the eye. You dont just drop Spoon and Chen without something big going on. Its a shame cause they need alot of offensive talent.

jc23 · Post #12 » by **jc23** » Sat Jan 25, 2025 11:48 pm

trading away one of your best players mid season for peanuts, letting your rookie stat pad and then letting your best player walk are all red flags. Sky need a no nonsense head coach; does Thibs have a sister?

nomorezorro · Post #13 » by **nomorezorro** » Wed Jan 29, 2025 2:24 am

Read on Twitter

dangling the #3 pick for a one-year rental of a non-superstar in order to sway the free agency decision of a 36-year-old role player who lost her starting job last season...i think the sky might quietly have the worst management of any chicago sports team

Betta Bulleavit · Post #14 » by **Betta Bulleavit** » Wed Jan 29, 2025 2:53 am

nomorezorro wrote:

Read on Twitter

dangling the #3 pick for a one-year rental of a non-superstar in order to sway the free agency decision of a 36-year-old role player who lost her starting job last season...i think the sky might quietly have the worst management of any chicago sports team

I don’t think they are actually doing that though. I think there’s a strong chance that they move the pick. But it would be to grab a proven player of need to add to the two young players that they already have. Not necessarily to add a serviceable (but over the hill) pg.

Andi Obst · Post #15 » by **Andi Obst** » Wed Jan 29, 2025 2:06 pm

I think the FO has done a pretty solid job since they decided to blow it up and trade Kah (which was also right, just a year too late). The trade for Angel looks good, I think Kamilla was the right pick and the Mabrey trade also looks a whole lot better now. This FO came in with almost no future assets, now they have plenty of them. The T-Spoon firing was the right call IMO, although hiring her in the first place looks bad now of course. And honestly, I'm also fine with letting Chenn go. She was really good last season - and my feeling might be completely unfair - but I still don't believe in her as a winning player.

I just don't get why they want to trade that third pick and it really sounds like they do (Annie Costabile has been reporting that for months now). According to AC, they want to prove they can win ahead of the 2026 offseason when almost the entire league will enter free agency. I don't see the player(s) who make you more than a fringe-playoff team. How is that interesting for big-time free agents? Hopefully, the Sky keep their picks and build a young core for the future. No need to rush things IMO.

nomorezorro · Post #16 » by **nomorezorro** » Wed Jan 29, 2025 8:13 pm

and like...even if you buy "be good in 2025 so you can attract the pieces to be great in 2026" as a strategy, which is highly dubious on its own...courtney vandersloot is about to start her age 36 season and coming off a year where she averaged 6 ppg / 5 apg and was a defensive liability! what on earth would convince anyone that she is a major "bridge building" asset, as opposed to a veteran whose importance to a team should be ramping down?

Betta Bulleavit · Post #17 » by **Betta Bulleavit** » Thu Jan 30, 2025 2:17 am

https://syndication.bleacherreport.com/amp/10152754-report-courtney-vandersloot-to-sign-sky-contract-5-time-all-star-joins-angel-reese.amp.html

With Vandersloot back in the fold, I wonder if the Sky may try to move the 3rd pick for Carrington.

Andi Obst · Post #18 » by **Andi Obst** » Sun Feb 2, 2025 4:07 pm

Really liking the offseason. The vets they've added (Sloot, Nurse and Allen) will bring leadership and/or shooting, they haven't made any panic moves (like trading #3 for Jewell Loyd) and the 2026 pick swap with the Sun looks extremely valuable right now (that's just luck, of course).

The Sky won't be good, the didn't make any spectacular moves, but everything makes sense so far IMO.

TheSuzerain · Post #19 » by **TheSuzerain** » Sun Feb 2, 2025 5:20 pm

Do the Sky have their own picks from now on? Is the Mabrey debacle over?

Andi Obst · Post #20 » by **Andi Obst** » Sun Feb 2, 2025 6:11 pm

TheSuzerain wrote:Do the Sky have their own picks from now on? Is the Mabrey debacle over?

Yes. it's over. Ironically, the Mabrey debacle is now a Sun problem, as the Sky got the rights to swap picks with the Sun in 2026 in the Mabrey trade. Now they have Mabrey and nobody else.

Don't trade pick swaps for Marina Mabrey, I guess.