Chicago Sky/WNBA 2025 season thread

[Jvaughn]

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.

I'm still holding out hope Olivia Miles falls to us. She's WNBA ready right now.

[TheSuzerain]

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.

I'm still holding out hope Olivia Miles falls to us. She's WNBA ready right now.

If Flaujae declares, seems like we're also good.

Supposedly she had beef with Angel and Cardoso though, so even with her being an LSU teammate, it maybe wouldn't be a joyful reunion.


Man, WNBA is kinda messy lol

[Jvaughn]

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.

I'm still holding out hope Olivia Miles falls to us. She's WNBA ready right now.

If Flaujae declares, seems like we're also good.

Supposedly she had beef with Angel and Cardoso though, so even with her being an LSU teammate, it maybe wouldn't be a joyful reunion.


Man, WNBA is kinda messy lol

Right.

[Shill]

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.

I'm still holding out hope Olivia Miles falls to us. She's WNBA ready right now.

If Flaujae declares, seems like we're also good.

Supposedly she had beef with Angel and Cardoso though, so even with her being an LSU teammate, it maybe wouldn't be a joyful reunion.


Man, WNBA is kinda messy lol

"Kinda"?

[Dominator83]

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/43987369/washington-mystics-trade-ariel-atkins-chicago-sky-third-pick-wnba-draft


Jesus. This franchise is the Billy king of the WNBA. And they just keep doing the same thing over and over

[Ice Man]

One of the reasons for the trade is that WNBA execs think this isn't a very good draft. But still, that's a strange move. Let's put it this way -- the rivalry between the Sky & Fever, which was great last year, as geography supports such a contest and the teams were evenly matched until the Mabrey trade -- looks to have been a short-lived thing. Those games now figure to resemble those between the Packers and Bears.

[_txchilibowl_]

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/43987369/washington-mystics-trade-ariel-atkins-chicago-sky-third-pick-wnba-draft


Jesus. This franchise is the Billy king of the WNBA. And they just keep doing the same thing over and over

I dunno....it's a pretty weak draft and, imo, Atkins immediately becomes their best player. Lots of gas left in the tank. Two-way player. Hits the three well enough. Excellent drive and kick. I like it. Bringing in Kia Nurse was an underrated move as well.

The Sky backcourt has been entirely reshaped for the better. Most importantly, they now have some veteran leadership who know how to play the game the right way.

[Jvaughn]

One of the reasons for the trade is that WNBA execs think this isn't a very good draft. But still, that's a strange move. Let's put it this way -- the rivalry between the Sky & Fever, which was great last year, as geography supports such a contest and the teams were evenly matched until the Mabrey trade -- looks to have been a short-lived thing. Those games now figure to resemble those between the Packers and Bears.

It's not the best draft in the world, but the Sky traded this years top pick in addition to a future pick swap for a non star.

And I still think there's solid talent in this draft. Obviously Paige and Olivia are 1 and 2, but you still have Citron, Fudd, Van Lith, Morrow, and Amoore all there who I think would be instant contributors. And most of them play positions of need for us. I just really don't get the logic behind this one.

[_txchilibowl_]

Everyone outside of the Aces will be chasing the Fever for the foreseeable future.

Still, the Sky are right now positioned to be a mid-level playoff team that can compete. Cardoso is the key. She has top 5-8 player ability if she ever fully realizes her physical potential. If that happens the Sky can beat anybody.

[TheSuzerain]

The trade in a vacuum is completely fine. Atkins is actually very good. WNBA draft picks are generally pretty bad. Bueckers is basically the only premium asset in the draft, and it's normal for WNBA drafts to only have like one top prospect.

But I don't really see the point in shoving in chips a year before the entire league is a UFA. I guess they can core Atkins now would be the counterpoint there?

[Betta Bulleavit]

https://www.espn.com/wnba/story/_/id/43987369/washington-mystics-trade-ariel-atkins-chicago-sky-third-pick-wnba-draft


Jesus. This franchise is the Billy king of the WNBA. And they just keep doing the same thing over and over

This isn’t a bad trade actually. After Paige, everything about this draft is a crap shoot. This year’s draft isn’t like last year’s where there were a number of potential impact players. So if you can get a quality player in exchange for the 3rd pick (which they did….and is a player of great need) there’s no harm in making that move.

[greenwing]

One of the reasons for the trade is that WNBA execs think this isn't a very good draft. But still, that's a strange move. Let's put it this way -- the rivalry between the Sky & Fever, which was great last year, as geography supports such a contest and the teams were evenly matched until the Mabrey trade -- looks to have been a short-lived thing. Those games now figure to resemble those between the Packers and Bears.

It's not the best draft in the world, but the Sky traded this years top pick in addition to a future pick swap for a non star.

And I still think there's solid talent in this draft. Obviously Paige and Olivia are 1 and 2, but you still have Citron, Fudd, Van Lith, Morrow, and Amoore all there who I think would be instant contributors. And most of them play positions of need for us. I just really don't get the logic behind this one.

It would have looked much better if it was the 7th pick instead of the 3rd. But it's not a bad move at all. First of all, the pick swap as far as I can tell only will be executed if the Sky are worse than the Mystics this year when it appears the Mystics are blowing it up. And if I remember correctly, the Sky are owed a pick swap with the Sun next season due to the Mabrey trade so they are going to have a high lottery pick next season (possibly even the first pick). Bringing back Vandersloot is saying that you want to at least be competitive now. Whether Miles slipped to 3 or they went with Citron, the team is still better on paper with Atkins right now - maybe not long-term but makes them more competitve at the moment. Also, with too many young players you're eventually going to have to pay them all. It's a better situtation with the WNBA salary cap to mix and match good young players and veterans to give yourself a shot at a title. If everyone is young team will get nailed in the playoffs and players will eventually want to leave.

If this was the NBA then trading the third pick for a two-way decent all-star caliber player is nuts. But this is the WNBA where the difference in talent between 3 and 7 typically isn't that large unless you have generational talents available. Keep in mind, the Sky chose Cardoso last season before Reese and this is clearly Reese's team now. Giving up a quality first round pick and future second rounder to compete now isn't too high a price to pay even if it is an overpay.

[nomorezorro]

The trade in a vacuum is completely fine. Atkins is actually very good. WNBA draft picks are generally pretty bad. Bueckers is basically the only premium asset in the draft, and it's normal for WNBA drafts to only have like one top prospect.

But I don't really see the point in shoving in chips a year before the entire league is a UFA. I guess they can core Atkins now would be the counterpoint there?

1) we don't even know if you'll be able to core players under the new cba!
2) atkins is very good, but acquiring one very good player isn't really that big of a needle mover in a league where the talent is so concentrated. i think it's highly questionable whether the team has made up the talent deficit created by trading mabrey and letting carter walk, and last year's roster was a bottom-rung playoff team before it got blown up.

i'd say it's a pretty iffy trade in a vacuum and a really stupid one in the specific context in which it was made

[TheSuzerain]

One of the reasons for the trade is that WNBA execs think this isn't a very good draft. But still, that's a strange move. Let's put it this way -- the rivalry between the Sky & Fever, which was great last year, as geography supports such a contest and the teams were evenly matched until the Mabrey trade -- looks to have been a short-lived thing. Those games now figure to resemble those between the Packers and Bears.

It's not the best draft in the world, but the Sky traded this years top pick in addition to a future pick swap for a non star.

And I still think there's solid talent in this draft. Obviously Paige and Olivia are 1 and 2, but you still have Citron, Fudd, Van Lith, Morrow, and Amoore all there who I think would be instant contributors. And most of them play positions of need for us. I just really don't get the logic behind this one.

I think you're just way off on the draft talent. Most of the players you listed will be scrubs or wash out entirely.

And that's not a 'this draft' thing. WNBA drafts hardly ever have great depth.

[Betta Bulleavit]

The trade in a vacuum is completely fine. Atkins is actually very good. WNBA draft picks are generally pretty bad. Bueckers is basically the only premium asset in the draft, and it's normal for WNBA drafts to only have like one top prospect.

But I don't really see the point in shoving in chips a year before the entire league is a UFA. I guess they can core Atkins now would be the counterpoint there?

1) we don't even know if you'll be able to core players under the new cba!
2) atkins is very good, but acquiring one very good player isn't really that big of a needle mover in a league where the talent is so concentrated. i think it's highly questionable whether the team has made up the talent deficit created by trading mabrey and letting carter walk, and last year's roster was a bottom-rung playoff team before it got blown up.

i'd say it's a pretty iffy trade in a vacuum and a really stupid one in the specific context in which it was made

See, I’d disagree here primarily based on the fact that WNBA drafts typically only run 2-3 solid players deep (last year was an anomaly). There’s a strong chance that whomever they drafted at 3 (Citron most likely) won’t be as good as Atkins. You couple that with the fact that she fits an obvious need and is a great defensive player and it makes plenty of sense. This move has no bearing on what rhe Sky would be positioned to do in free agency next year. If anything, it could actually help.

[Jvaughn]

One of the reasons for the trade is that WNBA execs think this isn't a very good draft. But still, that's a strange move. Let's put it this way -- the rivalry between the Sky & Fever, which was great last year, as geography supports such a contest and the teams were evenly matched until the Mabrey trade -- looks to have been a short-lived thing. Those games now figure to resemble those between the Packers and Bears.

It's not the best draft in the world, but the Sky traded this years top pick in addition to a future pick swap for a non star.

And I still think there's solid talent in this draft. Obviously Paige and Olivia are 1 and 2, but you still have Citron, Fudd, Van Lith, Morrow, and Amoore all there who I think would be instant contributors. And most of them play positions of need for us. I just really don't get the logic behind this one.

I think you're just way off on the draft talent. Most of the players you listed will be scrubs or wash out entirely.

And that's not a 'this draft' thing. WNBA drafts hardly ever have great depth.

I could be way off, but just like the draft we just saw that had multiple picks become contributors, you don't always know what you have. And to write all of them off before the college season is over is insane.

[Jcool0]

Read on Twitter

[jc23]

every team should do this when CC comes to town.

[Ice Man]

Side note, but I saw an interview with Lexie Brown of the Seattle Storm. She was talking about the notion that maybe free agents wouldn't want to come to Indiana, because Caitlin Clark gets all the glory there. Lexie said nope, are you kidding me? Strong team, packed house, Clark gets you the ball ... everybody would want to be there.

[Betta Bulleavit]

Didn’t know where to put this. But Ju Ju just went down and it did not look good at all. She was in a lot of pain holding her knee after a bad plant. Couldn’t walk off under her own power.

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