Despite injuries to key players, a mid-season trade that saw one of their best players depart, and a young, uneven roster, the Chicago Sky were still in the mix for a playoff spot late in the 2024 season. Eventually, they finished the season in tenth place with a 13-27 record and entered the offseason with plenty of work to do on the roster.
While the Sky did not land any of the biggest players on the move this offseason, they made significant moves. Courtney Vandersloot will be back in a Chicago Sky jersey, Kia Nurse signed with the Sky in free agency, they traded for Rebecca Allen, and Michael Onyenwere is returning to Chicago for another season. The Sky also parted ways with Chennedy Carter, who still remains a free agent, and Dana Evans, who was traded to the Las Vegas Aces.
The roster already looks much different, and the Sky addressed at least some of their needs. Nevertheless, the team still have plenty of questions to answer in the 2025 season.
3. Which adjustments need to be made around the Reese-Cardoso frontcourt?
Playing two bigs who both do not shoot threes is not an easy thing to do anymore. Most teams prefer to have at least one frontcourt player who can space the floor and draw defenses out of the paint. The Sky, however, went against that trend when they drafted Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese in the 2024 WNBA Draft and started both of them together whenever possible.
Due to injuries to both Reese and Cardoso the Sky did not see the duo play together too much yet. They have shown promise together but the lack of shooting between them is still concerning and makes for a bit of a clunky fit offensively.
Cardoso did not attempt any threes as a rookie, and Reese took only 16 threes, converting 18.8 percent of them. The Sky are likely hoping for Reese to become an improved 3-point shooter, and she has evidently been working on her shot all offseason long. The question is just whether she will be able to take and covert enough threes to establish herself as a 3-point threat around the league.
The one thing that could make the Reese-Cardoso frontcourt more sustainable is surrounding them with as many 3-point shooters as possible. The Sky do not have many of those, even if they add some good shooters in the draft. Michaela Onyenwere, Rebecca Allen, and Rachel Banham are the only players on the Sky’s current roster to shoot more than 35 percent on threes last season.
In the 2025 season, the Sky will hopefully get another extended look at Reese and Cardoso on the court together. They have to decide how much they believe and trust in their young frontcourt pairing and what adjustments they need to make to allow both players to succeed.
2. Is Reese ready to become a top player on a competitive team?
Angel Reese was the Sky’s lone All-Star in the 2024 season and likely has the best shot on the roster to go to Indianapolis in 2025. Nevertheless, it is no secret that Reese is still young and has plenty of work to do. Especially her lack of efficiency has been a reason for much criticism. Playing in Unrivaled, Reese has shown flashes of an improved and more efficient shot. She desperately needs to bring that to the WNBA consistently.
Kamilla Cardoso was the Sky’s highest draft pick in the 2024 draft, but it was Reese who established herself as the young rising star on the Sky’s roster. At the moment, her growth seems to be what will dictate the Sky’s future success. Thus, Reese’s second season in the WNBA will be crucial, and the Sky must figure out how much she can grow and how soon she can be one of the best players on a competitive team.
1. How close are the Sky to becoming a competitive team again?
This last question goes hand in hand with the previous one. The Sky are still rebuilding, and that is okay. They just traded Kahleah Copper to the Phoenix Mercury a year ago after losing Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot after the 2022 season. Rebuilding takes time, and the Sky do not have to go back to being a winning team right away.
And yet, at the same time, it is time for the Sky to figure out how close they are to becoming a competitive team again. The 2025 season will give them a chance to see Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in their second season, surrounded by veterans, as well as their 2025 lottery pick in action for the first time. Chicago has to use that chance to evaluate how much more time and which pieces they need to build a competitive team again.
After all, other young teams are already getting ready to make some noise in the playoffs. The Indiana Fever had a big offseason and look like one of the better teams in the WNBA right now. Likewise, the Los Angeles Sparks traded for Kelsey Plum, adding an All-Star to their young core. The Sky need to figure out where they fit in among the young teams in the league.