Chicago Sky and WNBA
Chicago Sky news, scores and features, as well as coverage of the WNBA and women’s college basketball.
“Personally, I felt like having Chicago, me headed there with the players we have now, it’s going to be a good opportunity to — I hate to say it — but revamp myself.”
“[I’m] going in [to training camp] with the same mentality I’ve always gone into something with. I’m going to put my head down and work as hard as I can,’’ Evans said.
When the smoke cleared on this year’s free-agency period, there were two landing spots for the collective group of stars, the New York Liberty and the Las Vegas Aces. Both picked off the Sky’s championship players.
The Sky will make their 2023 national TV debut on Sunday, May 21 when they head to Phoenix to face Brittney Griner and the Phoenix Mercury.
The drastically different team is built around its All-Star cornerstone, and new players will match her intensity.
In sevens seasons Williams has earned a reputation as a relentless backcourt presence in the WNBA. In her career, she’s totaled 2,603 points, 1,104 rebounds, 622 assists, 180 steals and 59 blocks.
The 32-year-old free agent had said she would return to Phoenix in a social media post in December, after she returned home from her 10-month detainment in Russia.
There are All-Star and championship shoes to fill with the departures of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Azura Stevens, but coach James Wade’s new signees aren’t feeling the pressure.
The Sky traded away three first round picks and three others.
Copper has been preparing for this new role since she joined the Sky in 2017 in the trade that sent Elena Delle Donne to the Mystics for her and Stefanie Dolson.
Stars like Vandersloot and Stewart are taking pay cuts to go after arguably the most valuable commodity the league has to offer right now — championships.
This camp is Copper’s fourth in the last two years.
Parker cites how the Aces are run, owner Mark Davis’ support for women’s sports as reasons for her signing.
After the departures of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Azura Stevens, Copper is the last remaining starter from the Sky’s championship run in 2021. She’s also their longest-tenured player.
In 12 seasons with the Sky, Vandersloot averaged 10.2 points, 6.6 assists and 3.2 rebounds. In 2021, she helped bring the city its first WNBA title.
After the departures of Azura Stevens, Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot, Kahleah Copper is the only remaining starter from the team’s 2021 championship run.
The loss of Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Azurá Stevens is a major setback for the franchise.
Vandersloot spent 12 seasons with the Sky,
Stewart is the second big-name free agent to announce her intentions to play for another team this season. Candace Parker said last weekend that she was going to leave the Sky and sign with the Las Vegas Aces.
Vandersloot spent 12 seasons with the Sky, averaging 10.2 points and 6.6 rebounds. In that time she became the league’s third overall assist leader, behind Sue Bird and Ticha Penicheiro with 2,387 career assists.
With the Sky’s championship roster on the brink of breaking up, we answered some of your questions about where things stand.
Without Candace Parker and potentially Courtney Vandersloot, too, the Sky will need to retool with 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper as the player they build around.
The two-time WNBA champion took meetings with the Sparks, Sky and Aces before making her decision.
Best-case scenario, Sky coach/GM James Wade re-signs Vandersloot and Parker and the franchise puts off a rebuild for another year. Worst-case scenario, the Sky are forced to say goodbye to two of the WNBA’s most influential players at the same time.
The Sky are expected to announce the addition of businesswoman Nadia Rawlinson to their ownership group Friday.
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