The Chicago Sky are serious about putting a winning team around youngster Angel Reese. Otherwise, they would not have pursued several veterans in free agency or traded their lottery pick for Ariel Atkins, who only has one year left on her contract.
Those moves were not just about the 2025 season, however. The Sky are already planning for the 2026 offseason. This offseason saw a lot of player movement as several stars changed teams. Alyssa Thomas, Satou Sabally, Kelsey Plum, and Jewell Loyd were all traded. DeWanna Bonner, Natasha Howard, Brionna Jones, Brittney Griner, and Courtney Vandersloot moved on from their 2024 teams in free agency.
While eventful, this offseason is only a taste of what WNBA fans need to get ready for in the 2026 offseason. Due to the new CBA, most players in the league will be free agents. That is the perfect recipe for a wild offseason and poses a unique opportunity for the Chicago Sky.
The Sky could soon build a contender around Angel Reese
The Sky will need to rely on free agents to build a contending team around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. The 2026 offseason will offer the perfect opportunity to sign some great players and pave the path toward contention.
There is one problem, however. Chicago is not necessarily a free-agency destination for the top players in the league quite yet. That is not much of a surprise. The Sky missed the playoffs last season, struggled offensively, are relying heavily on two players fresh off their rookie seasons, and have a new head coach coming in. Not many players looking to win at the highest level in the 2025 season were enticed by that.
So, now the Sky have one season to change things and show future free agents that they are serious about building a contender. Trading for Atkins, while risky, plays a big part in that.
More than anything, Angel Reese’s development will be key to drawing players to Chicago, however. Reese had a big rookie season but also clearly needed to work on some parts of her game. She has done that this offseason and is looking great in Unrivaled. If she can prove in the 2025 season that she is continuously improving and is indeed one of the next big stars in the WNBA, it will draw free agents to Chicago.
The Indiana Fever proved that this offseason. Free agents wanted to come to Indiana to play with Caitlin Clark, Aliyah Boston, and Kelsey Mitchell. With a successful 2025 season that may even convince Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins to return in the 2026 season, the Sky could develop a similar pull in free agency.
If that is the case, the Sky could quickly put all the right players around Reese and jump into contention.