New Chicago Sky guard Arella Guirantes earned the Women's Chinese Basketball Association's first playoff triple-double on Tuesday, according to a tweet from Chinese Women's Hoop Show.
The Sky training camp signee logged 20 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists as her Shanghai Swordfish fell to the Shanxi Flame in Game 2 of the league's playoff quarterfinals. She followed up a 23-point, 12-rebound performance in another close loss to Shanxi on Saturday. The 5-foot-11 guard has proven to be a reliable scorer alongside Sky center Kamilla Cardoso, who is averaging a double-double in her first WCBA stint.
Can Arella Guirantes be the Sky's next training camp steal?
The Sky have had an eye for adding talent through training camp contracts in the past.
Chicago found its top scorer in guard Chennedy Carter through a training camp deal in its 2024 campaign. Carter, who took fourth place in the WNBA's 2024 Most Improved Player voting last season, averaged a career-high 17.5 points per game for a Sky squad in need of scoring options following the departure of a handful of their lead guards. They brought in forwards Morgan Bertsch and Robyn Parks, who would become decent contributors off the bench, the year before. Guard Rebekah Gardner, now a training camp signee for the New York Liberty, officially jumpstarted her WNBA career after the Sky gave her another shot in 2022.
Guirantes first signed a training camp contract with the Sky last month. She would be joined by Bertsch and guard Alex Wilson. The former Rutgers standout has suited up for the Los Angeles Sparks and Seattle Storm in the past. She has netted two MVP selections in CentroBasket, a tournament for Central American national squads, and helped guide Puerto Rico to its fourth consecutive tournament title in November.
Chicago is in need of forward depth, but can use her all-around talent and experience should she prove herself in the preseason.
The Sky have added plenty of guard depth through trades or free agency signings, including two surefire starters and former All-Stars in Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins. Guirantes, an IMG Academy product and a former 4-star prospect, can only add to the Sky's scoring options if she can replicate her recent stardom with Shanghai. With two roster spots available and a decent amount of remaining cap room, Chicago has the room to add a pair of talented players as it continues to push for a spot in the postseason.