The Chicago Sky may be close to rounding out their core of the future.
Chicago selected its youthful frontcourt in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso during the 2024 WNBA Draft. The two could be the key to building a more dynamic offense in the first year of the Tyler Marsh era. The squad has already taken steps towards writing a new chapter in the Sky's history, one that could be defined by toughness, physicality, competitiveness and selflessness.
"We understand that nothing that has happened in the past, good or bad, impacts what we're doing moving forward," Marsh said during a Monday availability. "That's with any team. We're coming in, just like the other 12 teams in the league, to establish an identity.
"We just want to be the best version of ourselves moving forward."
Can Chicago's new point guard duo in Courtney Vandersloot and Hailey Van Lith embody the Sky's core values?
Van Lith, a first-round pick for the Sky in this year's draft, can be the backup guard Chicago needs this season. Vandersloot will need to be a key veteran presence on a Sky squad with plenty of youthful players in its core, including two power forwards in Reese and Maddy Westbeld. Outside of being an engine for the offense and a needed floor general, what is Vandersloot's most important role with Chicago heading into the 2025 season?
Courtney Vandersloot must be a mentor to Hailey Van Lith
Every rookie needs a mentor.
And, should Vandersloot pass down her knowledge of running an offense, she can be just the mentor Van Lith needs to have a successful first season in the WNBA.
The young guard made it clear she was excited to learn from Vandersloot's game in her introductory press conference. She higlighted Vandersloot's court vision and tempo, which helped guide Chicago to its first WNBA championship in 2021 and to numerous playoff runs in her notable Sky career.
"I can't wait to watch film with her, observe her in practices and pick her brain about how she controls games, controls the speed of games and gets her bigs and her shooting guards the ball when they need it to score," Van Lith said. "I think she's one in particular that I'm really excited to get to be around."
Chicago will have found its point guard of the foreseeable future if Van Lith can learn a thing or two from Vandersloot, who will arguably be one of the most important early building blocks in the Sky's return to the top of the WNBA landscape.