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The championship era is over for the Chicago Sky.
When Kahleah Copper traded with Phoenix Mercury Last week, she took the final leg of the 2021 WNBA champions with her; this was a clear punctuation mark for the series at the end of that episode.
This in itself is worth mourning for the city; ultimately, the Sky brought home Chicago’s first championship since the 2016 Cubs.
But for new coach Teresa Weatherspoon and general manager Jeff Pagliocca also clarify Copper’s departure. They inherited the struggles of the previous regime when they took office in October, splitting the coach and GM positions for the first time in team history.
At the center of these struggles was Copper, a talented wing and the league’s rising star, who chose to give Sky another chance. the sudden departure of his last coach. Copper two-year contract extension created an incredibly short runway; Rebuild around the three-time All-Star at breakneck speed or risk losing him again in 2026.
No team would be better without Copper on its roster. But now Weatherspoon and Pagliocca’s task turns into a more reasonable challenge: building a roster through the draft and making the Sky a more attractive destination for free agents.
Come 2021, Sky has been incredibly lucky. Players had this to say: How many .500 teams make it all the way to the finals? Under the old playoff structure, they beat the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx in single elimination in the first two rounds to advance to the semifinals.
None of this detracts from the quality of the team in 2022, which is bolstered by a 26-10 regular season best. But it reflects how much luck comes into play to win a single championship.
Building a dynasty, on the other hand, is not luck. This requires patience, pragmatism and a lot of work behind the scenes. And if Sky aims to build something close to that under Weatherspoon, the restructuring required by Copper’s exit will offer a clear runway to start that long process.
There are a few obvious steps to start this process effectively from both the front office and ownership perspective.
1. Make the most of the 2024 draft.
Sky re-entered the Copper trade after former coach and general manager James Wade agreed to trade Copper. The majority of their draft capital is in the deal for Marina Mabrey last year. While Pagliocca will need to continue to sort out the kinks of this trade, the Sky are in good position with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 draft.
It’s difficult to predict who will be in this year’s draft, given that many players are weighing the option of taking an additional year of COVID eligibility. However, the class still needs to be stacked.
Sky do not have a single player selected from their current squad, reflecting a history of poor selection. This is the first year they had a first-round pick since 2021, when they drafted Shyla Heal with the No. 8 pick and then in less than three weeks traded her for Dana Evans, who was available when the Sky selected Heal.
The sky won’t take it Caitlin Clark is poised to be the No. 1 pick. However, the top 10 will feature league-ready players who can contribute as rookies; especially bigs like Cameron Brink, Kamilla Cardoso, Aaliyah Edwards, Rickea Jackson and Alissa Pilli.
2. Determine the quarterback position.
The Sky lost the position last season in an unsuccessful attempt to bring in Courtney Williams into the role for her eighth season and move Evans off the bench. They cannot afford to make the same mistake this season.
The core of the starting lineup, Mabrey, wing Diamond DeShields and center Elizabeth Williams, thrive in a spread offense where they can play off the ball and separate teams with inside-out ball movement. This could be a successful outlook for the Sky, but it requires an on-ball guard who can prevent stagnation and feed his teammates.
Solidifying the quarterback position will be one of Weatherspoon’s first major personnel decisions. Is Evans ready for his debut gig? If not, where can Sky find a reliable facilitator?
This is where the WNBA’s lack of roster space could be an asset for rebuilding teams. The Sky invited two former No. 4 draft picks, guard Chennedy Carter (2020) and Kysre Gondrezick (2021), to training camp. They could also extend an invitation to former No. 1 pick Charli Collier (2021), the 6-foot-11 center the Wings waived before last season to diversify their options.
While Pagliocca and Weatherspoon carry out these tasks, Sky’s ownership group and Chief Operating Officer Nadia Rawlinson face a hurdle of their own: delivering on investment promises.
Perhaps the steepest growth curve in the WNBA over the past five years has been the increase in player demand for designated practice facilities. Last year, the Las Vegas Aces became the first team in the league to build their own standalone facility that is not affiliated with a men’s team.
Most players in the league do not have their own lockers, nor do they even have access to a field where they can practice after hours. Sky still practices at Sachs Recreation Center, a community center in Deerfield; Here, players go through high-level water aerobics classes on their way to the court. This center is only accessible during normal business hours from 5am to 9pm.
Compared to the Advocate Center, where Chicago Bulls players have 24/7 access to multiple fields, treatment facilities, film rooms and more, it’s understandable why these facilities are a focus of investment for players, coaches and executives.
Adding capital to the ownership group was an important first step taken last year. It was clear that Sky needed deeper pockets to compete with the rest of the league; This league will become even richer with the upcoming expansion. Rawlinson last year expressed the urgency for Sky to establish its own training facility when Sachs’ lease comes due later this year.
It’s time to move forward with more concrete plans. Sky is still behind; But this doesn’t have to last forever as long as the property is serious about investing.
So no, this is not a new championship era yet. But this season is critical for Sky to lay the foundations for a more sustainable version of success.
We are less than two months away from the WNBA draft on April 15.
