Chicago Sky acquire Ariel Atkins from Mystics for No. 3 overall pick and more draft capital
Tina sits down with new Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh
After his official introduction, the Chicago Sky's newest head coach, Tyler Marsh, sat down with Tina Nguyen for a one-on-one chat.
The Chicago Sky are trying to speed up their rebuild.
The Sky have agreed to a trade with the Washington Mystics to acquire two-time WNBA All-Star Ariel Atkins in exchange for the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and more draft capital in the future.
The team announced the trade Sunday evening.
It's a move that signals the Sky are aiming to compete for a playoff spot with a core of Atkins, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso along side offseason acquisitions Kia Nurse and Courtney Vandersloot.
"Ariel has made a tremendous impact on this league since her rookie year." Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a written statement. "She is an excellent role model for her teammates and an all-star caliber contributor."
Atkins was active on both sides of the floor last season, averaging 14.9 points, 3.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.5 steals in the 2024 season.
She was the seventh-overall pick in the 2018 WNBA Draft out of Texas and played her entire career with Washington. Her first season with the Sky will be her first with another team.
With Washington, Atkins won the 2019 WNBA title with former Sky MVP Elena Delle Donne and is firmly entrenched in the franchise's record books. Atkins is first on the Mystics' all-time in 3-pointers made (397), second in steals (313), third in total points (2,914), third in assists (525), fourth in field goals made (1,020), fifth in free throws made (477) and fifth in total minutes played (6,012).
ESPN also reported the Sky will send a 2027 first-round pick swap and their 2027 second-round pick to Washington in the trade.
The Sky still have the No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2025 WNBA Draft.
"As one of the league’s top defensive specialists and a consistent scorer, she is a threat on both ends of the floor who will help us build a playoff-contending team in Chicago," Pagliocca said.