The WNBA is still one of the more underrated professional sports leagues in the U.S., but the 2024 season was an exciting one for the league and its fans. Even before the season started all eyes were on the WNBA and the newest generation of talent ready to join the league.
The Chicago Sky were a big part of that, landing one of the most popular rookies in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Chicago may not have competed in the playoffs, but 2024 was still a monumental year for the team due to these defining moments.
The Chicago Sky draft Angel Reese
Angel Reese made a name for herself at LSU, establishing herself as one of the most popular players in women’s college basketball on and off the court. The Chicago Sky had two first-round picks in the 2024 WNBA Draft. They selected Kamilla Cardoso third and made a deal with the Minnesota Lynx to be able to select Angel Reese seventh overall. The Sky gave up Sika Kone, a 2025 second-round pick, and the rights to swap first-round picks in 2026.
Since the draft, Reese has established herself as one of the most talented young bigs in the game and a building block for the Sky. Besides her contributions on the court, Reese also has the power to significantly increase the Sky’s standings off the court.
Chennedy Carter becomes a starter
Chennedy Carter’s WNBA career has been full of ups and downs. Carter first came into the league as the fourth overall pick in 2020 but struggled to find her footing. With the Sky, she experienced a revival, quickly emerging as the team’s best scorer.
Carter started the season coming off the bench, though. It was not until June 16 that she entered the starting lineup. The Sky’s 2024 season was all about figuring out what they had on the roster and how to play with their two rookies. Carter’s journey from reserve to starter to the Sky’s offensive engine on the perimeter embodies that perfectly.
Carter was a crucial part of the Sky’s system in 2024 but will be a restricted free agent in 2025 and is constantly increasing her value playing overseas. The Sky will have to figure out her future with the team once free agency officially starts.
Angel Reese makes All-Star history
Kamilla Cardoso may have been the higher draft pick, but an injury slowed down the start of her season, and it was Reese, who emerged as the Sky’s All-Star in 2024. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark were the only rookies selected to the All-Star team, marking the first time since 2013 that Chicago sent a rookie to the All-Star Game.
Reese earned her All-Star selection by breaking several rebounding records and averaging a double-double. She did the same thing in the All-Star Game, becoming the first rookie in WNBA history to record a double-double during the All-Star Game.
It was a defining moment for the Sky’s year because it showed the talent they got in the draft and how Chicago will play from now on, building around Reese and Cardoso.
The Sky trade Marina Mabrey
In-season trades are not common in the WNBA, and when the Chicago Sky decided to trade Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun in July, it became painfully obvious that the Sky were not ready to compete yet. Mabrey was one of the team’s top scorers and best 3-point shooters. She is the type of player who can help any team win.
Seeing her depart Chicago in the middle of the season suggested that the Sky were not done with their rebuild or ready to go to the playoffs quite yet. Plagued by injuries, they did indeed miss the postseason. 2024 was all about developing their rookies, figuring out what type of players to put around them, and securing another high draft pick. Thus, trading one of their best veterans was one of the defining moments of the year.
The Draft Lottery
Still in the middle of their rebuild, the Chicago Sky finished the 2024 season as one of the lottery teams. Due to the pick swap, they owed the Dallas Wings, the number one pick and Paige Bueckers were out of reach for the Sky. They ended up with the third overall pick and a solid wrap on their 2024 season.
Angel Reese flashed her incredible potential, but the Sky clearly were not ready to be a competitive team quite yet. The final playoff spot was within reach for quite some time, but ultimately, it was still too early for the Sky.
Landing a top-three pick will give the Sky another young talent to add to the mix and hopefully another piece for the future. 2024 may not have seen too much on-court success for the Sky, but it was the first step towards building a competitive team.