Here are players the Chicago Sky could target in WNBA Free Agency
CHICAGO, Ill. - The WNBA offseason is about to kick into high gear, and the Chicago Sky need to make some moves.
Teams could start negotiating deals on Jan. 21, and any deals agreed upon can be made official on Feb. 1
According to Spotrac, the Sky have $511,448 in cap space for the 2024 season.
Without a first-round pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft and eight players under contract for the 2024 season, the Sky should be looking to the free agent pool to try and build a contender with first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and first-year general manager Jeff Pagliocca.
Here are some players the Sky could target.
Kalani Brown, Wings center
What helps the Sky in this instance is there might not be space for Brown in Dallas this season. Teaira McCowan is under contract and Stephanie Soares, the No. 4 overall pick in 2023, is returning from injury. Unless the Wings prioritize Brown over the other two, Brown could be a player Weatherspoon could have fill in the shoes Smith would leave open if she departs.
Skylar Diggins-Smith, Mercury point guard
Here’s the one player that could change the outlook of the franchise. Diggins-Smith has made it fairly clear she will not be returning to Phoenix this upcoming season, making her one of the biggest names that could change places this offseason.
She missed the 2023 season on maternity leave after giving birth to her second child, but she was an all-WNBA player in 2022. Her addition would place one of the best players in the league next to Kahleah Copper.
Jordin Canada, Sparks guard
It’s weird to say a player like Canada could be considered a consolation prize, but if Los Angeles lands Diggins-Smith then Canada would be a player the Sky could turn to. One of the most improved players in the league across 2023, Canada is a star-level defender and massively improved her 3-point shot.
Pairing Canada’s defense with Copper’s offense is a tandem the league would need to respect, but the Sky would need to work to acquire her after the Sparks cored her, which is similar to the NFL’s franchise player tag. To get her, the Sky would need to work out a sign-and-trade with Los Angeles.
CHICAGO, IL - JUNE 02: Chicago Sky guard Courtney Williams (10) Chicago Sky forward Alanna Smith (8) and Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams (1) look on during a WNBA game between the New York Liberty and the Chicago Sky on June 2, 2023, at Wintrus
Courtney Williams, Sky point guard
Last year, Williams proved she can play the point guard position. She proved she can pair well with Kahleah Copper, too. She wouldn’t fall under a consolation prize, either, as having her 10 points per game, six rebounds per game and six assists per game is something most teams would love.
She recorded a triple-double with the Sky against the Sun in the 2023 season finale, ending the regular season proving she’s an elite playmaker.
Alanna Smith, Sky forward
Smith wasn’t averaging a double-double per game in 2023, but she took a starting role and proved she had the talent to consistently start in the WNBA. In her fifth season, Smith, the former No. 8 overall pick in the 2019 WNBA Draft, averaged 9.2 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game.
At 6-foot-4, she has the size that most teams need either in the starting lineup or on the bench. In Smith’s case, that combination of size, talent and experience belongs in a starting lineup.
Nneka Ogwumike, Sparks forward
This would be a massive move. But, if the Sky want to compete it might be a splash they should try and make. Ogwumike has played her entire career in Los Angeles, won a title there in 2016 and was the WNBA MVP in 2016. She’s an elite scorer, rebounder and defender.
Ogwumike posted on social media that she was in Chicago on Tuesday, stirring a rumor or two. If that’s the case, pairing her with Copper and Marina Mabrey would space the floor and provide a veteran-type presence that Candace Parker brought to the Sky in their championship season.
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