2024 was a very tumultuous year for the Chicago Sky. They had two first-round picks in a stacked draft class, saw Angel Reese make her first All-Star Game, and watched Chennedy Carter remind everyone of her talent but also had to move Marina Mabrey and missed the playoffs. Reese, Cardoso, and Carter all missed significant time with injuries or illnesses, but even if everyone had been healthy the Sky may have voluntarily bowed out of the playoffs.
The team is still rebuilding, and landing another high draft pick certainly helps with that. Between all the losing, the Sky saw glimpses of the future, however. Angel Reese quickly made it clear that she would have a successful WNBA career as one of the best rebounders in the game, breaking record after record. Chennedy Carter proved that she was worth bringing back in free agency.
When it comes to basketball, several questionable decisions have been made in Chicago recently. Putting Chennedy Carter in the starting lineup was not one of them.
Chennedy Carter excelled as a starter for the Sky
Chennedy Carter first entered the WNBA as the fourth overall pick in 2020. With the pandemic and the limited number of roster spots available, she struggled to find her footing and was not even on a WNBA roster in the 2023 season. The Sky gave her a chance in 2024, and it quickly paid off.
Carter finished the season as one of the top fifteen scorers in the league, averaging 17.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. If she had started the entire season, she likely would have been an All-Star. But Carter came off the bench to start the season, making her case as Sixth Player of the Year.
On June 16, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon made the decision to put Carter in the starting lineup for the first time. She recorded 18 points, 1 rebound, 4 assists, and 1 steal, claiming her spot in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
Putting Carter in the starting lineup came with a risk, as it meant playing three non-shooters at the same time, but it was still the best coaching decision made during the 2024 season. Especially once Marina Mabrey was traded to the Connecticut Sun, Carter’s ability to score and put the offense on her back became invaluable for the Sky. She was the Sky’s leading scorer and the only true offensive force on the perimeter.
If Weatherspoon had not given her a chance to break out, the Sky would have struggled even more offensively than they already did.
Runner up: Relying heavily on Rachel Banham after the trade deadline
In a rare mid-season trade, the Chicago Sky dealt Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun for Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham. While the former did not play much in Chicago, Banham saw big minutes, averaging 19.8 minutes over 16 games with her new team.
It marked the most minutes Banham had averaged over her career and turned out to be a great decision by the Sky. Chicago struggled immensely from three, finishing the season as one of the worst 3-point shooting teams in the league. Banham was one of the few players who hit the majority of her attempts on a relatively high volume.
After the trade deadline, she was the only Sky player to average more than 2.8 threes per game and the only one who shot more than 38 percent. Chicago needed her on the court, and giving her big minutes was a great decision.