The Chicago Sky are clearly trying to win in the 2025 season. They made several key additions to the roster this offseason, signing Courtney Vandersloot, Rebecca Allen, and Kia Nurse in free agency. The Sky also traded the third overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to the Washington Mystics for Ariel Atkins.
Giving up such a high draft pick for a veteran shows more than anything that the Sky want to build a contender around Angel Reese as quickly as possible rather than being involved in a lengthy rebuild.
Atkins is a great player for that purpose. She fits exactly what the Sky need in the backcourt next to Courtney Vandersloot. The two-time All-Star can space the floor, score in bunches, and defend at a high level.
Due to those skills, Atkins is the perfect replacement for Chennedy Carter. Carter was the Sky’s leading scorer last season, but the front office decided not to re-sign her, supposedly because of some locker room issues. Until they made the deal with the Mystics, one of the biggest questions for the Sky was who would replace Carter’s offensive production.
Despite the solid fit, trading for Atkins was a rather risky move for the Sky.
Ariel Atkins may only be a one-year rental for the Sky
The Sky had to pay a steep price for Atkins—as is to be expected if you want a guard who has been named to several All-Star and All-Defensive teams. Besides the third overall pick in this year’s draft, the Sky also traded a 2027 first-round pick swap and a second-round pick to the Mystics.
That is quite the list of draft assets, especially for a team trying to build around two players just entering their second WNBA season. On top of the picks the Sky sent out in this deal, the Minnesota Lynx also have the right to swap first-round picks with Chicago in the 2026 draft. That is not quite as bad as it sounds, though, as the Sky also have the right to swap picks with the Connecticut Sun in 2026, and the Sun are expected to be one of the worst teams in the league.
However, the number of picks it costs to get Atkins is not the only issue with this deal. The real problem is that Atkins will be an unrestricted free agent after the 2025 season, and there is no guarantee that she will re-sign with the Sky.
If she were still under contract for two or three seasons, this trade would have been a slam dunk. But, due to Atkins’ contract situation, the Sky might have just given up significant assets for a one-year rental. If Atkins decided to leave after the 2025 season and the Sky sent out all those picks for nothing, it would hurt the team’s future.
So, the Sky’s mission for the 2025 season should be clear: try to win as much as possible and convince Atkins to stay. If the Sky can become a competitive team in the 2025 season, there is plenty to like about being in Chicago. Atkins may not get any better offers in the next offseason than to play for a Sky team that features some of the best young bigs in the league and is successfully building a contender around them. If the Sky can convince Atkins to re-sign, this deal will immediately look much better.
It will be a tough challenge for the Sky, though, considering how well set up several other teams are for the 2025 season. Even with the addition of Atkins, the Sky will likely struggle to compete with the Liberty, Lynx, Aces, Mercury, Fever, and Storm.