The WNBA Draft is one of the best ways for teams to add new young talent to the roster. Chicago is a great example of that. After losing most key players of the 2021 championship team, the Sky were able to retool quickly through the draft and now look ready to attempt returning to the playoffs.
Teams that missed the playoffs in previous seasons get to participate in the lottery to decide which organizations will get the top four picks. The best players usually get selected in the lottery or the rest of the first round. Sometimes, teams discover a hidden gem in the second or third round, however. Betnijah Laney-Hamilton, a key piece of the New York Liberty’s championship team, was a second-round pick, for example.
The Chicago Sky participated in their first WNBA Draft in 2006. Since then, the Sky selected several notable names, like Sylvia Fowles, Courtney Vandersloot, Elena Delle Donne, and Angel Reese. Reese is the first Chicago Sky draftee since Diamond DeShields, who was drafted in 2018, to be named an All-Star.
Complete year-by-year WNBA Draft picks for the Chicago Sky
Draft Year | Draft Round | Draft Pick | Player | College Country |
|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 1 | 6 | Candice Dupree | Temple |
2 | 20 | Jennifer Harris | Washburn | |
3 | 34 | Kerri Gardin | Virginia Tech | |
2007 | 1 | 3 | Armintie Price | Ole Miss |
2 | 20 | Stephanie Raymond | Northern Illinois | |
21 | Jessica Dickson | South Florida | ||
3 | 27 | Jenna Rubino | DePaul | |
2008 | 1 | 2 | Sylvia Fowles | LSU |
2 | 19 | Quianna Chaney | LSU | |
3 | 33 | Angela Tisdale | Baylor | |
2009 | 1 | 3 | Kristi Toliver | Maryland |
2 | 16 | Daniella Gant | Texas A&M | |
3 | 29 | Jenifer Risper | Vanderbilt | |
2010 | 1 | 4 | Epiphanny Prince | Rutgers |
3 | 28 | Abi Olajuwon | Oklahoma | |
2011 | 1 | 3 | Courtney Vandersloot | Gonzaga |
2 | 15 | Carolyn Swords | Boston College | |
17 | Angie Bjorklund | Tennessee | ||
3 | 27 | Amy Jaeschke | Northwestern | |
2012 | 2 | 23 | Shey Peddy | Temple |
3 | 27 | Sydney Carter | Texas A&M | |
2013 | 1 | 2 | Elena Delle Donne | Delaware |
3 | 28 | Brooklyn Pope | Baylor | |
2014 | 1 | 10 | Markeisha Gatling | N.C. State |
2 | 22 | Gennifer Brandon | California | |
3 | 34 | Jamierrra Faulkner | Southern Miss | |
2015 | 1 | 5 | Cheyenne Parker | Middle Tennesse |
2 | 17 | Betnijah Laney-Hamilton | Rutgers | |
22 | Aleighsa Welch | South Carolina | ||
2016 | 1 | 10 | Imani Boyette | Texas |
3 | 34 | Jordan Jones | Texas A&M | |
2017 | 1 | 2 | Alaina Coates | South Carolina |
9 | Tori Jankoska | Michigan State | ||
2 | 21 | Chantel Osahar | Washington | |
3 | 33 | Makayla Epps | Kentucky | |
2018 | 1 | 3 | Diamond DeShields | Tennessee |
4 | Gabby Williams | UConn | ||
3 | 28 | Amarah Coleman | DePaul | |
2019 | 1 | 4 | Katie Lou Samuelson | UConn |
2 | 15 | Chloe Jackson | Baylor | |
3 | 27 | Maria Conde | Spain | |
2020 | 1 | 8 | Ruthy Hebard | Oregon |
3 | 30 | Japreece Deon | UCLA | |
32 | Kiah Gillespie | Florida State | ||
2021 | 1 | 8 | Shayla Heal | Australia |
2 | 16 | Natasha Mack | Oklahoma State | |
2023 | 2 | 23 | Kayana Traylor | Virginia Tech |
3 | 35 | Kseniya Malashka | Middle Tennessee | |
2024 | 1 | 3 | Kamilla Cardoso | South Carolina |
7 | Angel Reese | LSU | ||
2 | 13 | Brynna Maxwell | Gonzaga |
First-Round Draft Picks: Chicago Sky’s most notable selections
The Chicago Sky’s most notable first-round picks are undoubtedly Sylvia Fowles and Elena Delle Donne. The latter, who just announced her retirement, won the MVP award and made several All-Star teams while playing for the Chicago Sky. Sylvia Fowles, who is now a Hall of Famer, won her MVP award and championships after leaving the Sky but won the Defensive Player of the Year award during her time in Chicago and made several All-Star, All-WNBA, and All-Defensive teams.
Courtney Vandersloot, who was selected by the Sky in the 2011 WNBA Draft, also had a successful career in Chicago. She won a title with the team in 2021, made three All-Star teams, led the league in assists several times, and was named to two All-WNBA First Teams. She is now getting ready for her second stint with the team.
Epiphanny Prince was also a two-time All-Star with the Sky. Soon enough, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso should add their names to this list.
Biggest draft steals and late-round gems
While most WNBA stars are drafted at the top of the first round, teams frequently find steals later in the draft. The Sky are no exception. They found Betnijah Laney-Hamilton in the second round (even though she found her success elsewhere) and one could argue that Angel Reese was the biggest steal in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She was voted as such in the general manager survey.