The Sky made a surprise move Sunday night when the team traded their No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft for guard Ariel Atkins. Now that the dust has settled, it's becoming clear that the decisions being made by the team's front office aren't terrible at all — and they might even bring the Sky into playoff contention this year.
Ariel Atkins is an upgrade
There's no way to put this but honestly: for the Sky, Atkins is an upgrade from Dana Carter, who the team traded to the Aces in early February. With Vandersloot ruling the backcourt, it's clear Chicago is building a playoff team with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso at the center.
Last season Atkins averaged 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game in nearly 30 minutes of play for the Mystics. She's a 2-time All-Star and 5-time All-Defensive selection and helped lead her former team to the championship in 2019. Atkins has what you need to win, and if her performance in Unrivaled is any indication, that's what she's all about.
The trade allowed the team to move on from Chennedy Carter
By signing Atkins, the Sky have also officially moved on completely from Chennedy Carter. Despite Carter's immense talent, her off the court issues have given her a bad reputation, and clearly Chicago decided it wasn't worth it to keep her on the squad.
Adding Atkins to the team will also pave the way for the Sky to take full advantage of everything Reese and Cardoso bring to the court, something that wasn't possible with a big personality like Carter also on the team. Reese and Cardoso, who were both used to playing on championship-level teams in college, want to win and win quickly, and Atkins will help get them there and give the second-year players the benefit of her veteran experience.
Where Chennedy Carter could end up
To date, Carter has not signed with another WNBA team and free agency has already begun to wind down. There aren't many teams left that have the cap space to take her, and of the teams that could, it's not clear that they are prepared to potentially contend with everything she could bring.
Carter has burned a lot of bridges between herself and other athletes and coaches. As a result, it seems unlikely she would end up playing with Courtney Williams, Marina Mabrey, and it's not clear that she could return to the Sparks or the Dream. Curt Miller was part of the team at the Sparks that waived Chennedy in 2023, so the Wings are an unlikely spot as well. And if rumors that Carter wasn't protected by the Sky during December's Expansion Draft are true, then the Valkyries have already made it clear they aren't interested in signing her.
That leaves 6 teams: the Storm, Fever, Aces, Mystics, Liberty, and the Mercury. Hopefully Carter will find a home in the league where she feels supported, and where she can also provide the same energy.