This WNBA offseason promises to be a wild one with plenty of player movement. Jewell Loyd requested a trade out of Seattle in December, Satou Sabally just announced that she wants to leave the Dallas Wings, and several big names, like Kelsey Plum, Alyssa Thomas, and DeWanna Bonner, could be on the move in free agency.
Loyd and Sabally are both All-Star-level players who will attract plenty of attention all across the league. Recently, most rumors have focused on the latter, connecting her to the New York Liberty, the team her sister plays for, and the Indiana Fever. Sabally has long been connected to the Fever due to some social media activity and the potential fit of her, Aliyah Boston, Kelsey Mitchell, and Caitlin Clark. That group would be incredibly difficult to stop.
But, neither Sabally nor Loyd really have complete control over where they will end up. The Wings can core Sabally and then trade her rather than letting her walk away for nothing. So, her destination mostly depends on which teams will be willing to trade for her and which offer the Wings find most interesting.
That is where the Chicago Sky come in. Chicago has been mentioned as a potential landing spot for either player. Jewell Loyd could give the Sky a scoring threat on the perimeter and a 3-point shooter. Loyd’s shooting took a hit in the 2024 season, but she shot at least 35.6 percent in all of the previous four seasons. Sabally would add another strong forward to the mix, who could allow the Sky to play a somewhat different style of basketball with her ability to hit threes and score in bunches.
More importantly, however, the Sky could put together the best trade package available if they are willing to part ways with the third-overall pick in this year’s draft.
Sky have the chance to make a big move, but should they?
With two All-Stars on the trade market already, the Sky are in a unique position this offseason and will have to make some tough decisions. They could make a big splash and land an All-Star, accelerating the team’s timeline and Angel Reese’s development. Few trade packages could beat theirs if they are willing to let go of their 2025 lottery pick, and All-Stars like Loyd and Sabally do not grow on trees.
Trading for a star this offseason would come at the expense of young talent, though, and the question is whether the Sky are even ready for that yet.
Even if they trade for someone like Sabally or Loyd, it seems unlikely that the Sky will be one of the top teams in the WNBA in 2025. In the worst case, they may just end up throwing out assets and rushing their young stars’ development without seeing much team success in return. Particularly Sabally is not even guaranteed to play much during the 2025 season. Her career has been defined by injury troubles and she has only played more than 17 games once in her career.
The Sky have the means to chase a star this offseason but must decide if it is truly worth parting ways with their lottery pick. After all, there is also free agency, which would allow the Sky to make significant additions while also drafting another young player. The question is just how confident the Sky are that they can attract notable talent in free agency this year.