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Back from the brink: The Sky's offseason is starting to make sense

Sage Kakkat

12 Apr 2026 — 3 min read

The Sky are turning this free agency period around.

They stumbled out of the gates when they dealt away Angel Reese — a franchise pillar — to the Dream for future picks. But their moves since then have brightened the outlook. Best case, they'll be fighting for a playoff spot. At worst, they'll be a fun team to watch.

The key signing was six-time All-WNBA guard Skylar Diggins.

"Skylar is a player we have coveted for years," general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. "We are ecstatic to bring her to Chicago. She is one of the all-time elite passers in our game and continues to play at a high level on both sides of the ball."

Pagliocca swung and missed on Diggins in the 2024 offseason; she chose the Storm instead. Points for persistence: Diggins might be the Sky's best free-agency signing since Emma Meesseman in 2022.

She averaged 15.3 points and 6.2 assists with Seattle over the last two seasons and remains one of the most complete guards in the league.

"Diggins is the kind of player who elevates everyone around her," coach Tyler Marsh said in a statement. "[She] is a true veteran leader, and she possesses unmatched speed and shot creation potential. I can't wait to work with her."

Star power? Check.

The Sky's next priority was overhauling the frontcourt to improve their spacing. Neither Reese nor Kamilla Cardoso shot much from the outside, a poor fit for the "pace-and-space" style Marsh and Pagliocca want to implement.

Enter Azurá Stevens.

The 6’6 stretch big is coming off a career year with the Sparks, averaging a career-high 12.8 points and shooting 38.1 percent from 3-point range. She finished second in Most Improved Player voting.

"I'm truly excited to be coming home to join the Chicago Sky," Stevens said in a statement. "This city means everything to me. The culture, the people, the passion for the game. To have the opportunity to come back to Chicago is amazing. I'm ready to get to work, embrace the moment, and give everything I have. Let's work."

Stevens was part of the Sky's 2021 championship team and the 2022 squad that finished atop the regular-season standings. Last season, playing for the Sparks, she torched the Sky for 21 points on 8-of-11 shooting.

Marsh's halftime message that day: "Don't let Azurá shoot anymore."

Before this free agency period concludes, at least one more major domino has to fall. The Sky are reportedly in talks to trade Ariel Atkins to the Sparks for Rickea Jackson, another dynamic scorer from the 2024 draft class.

If the deal goes through, the Sky could be looking at a starting lineup of Diggins, Cardoso, Stevens and Jackson. That's plenty of talent, size and a lot more shot creation than last year's group.

It could be a playoff-caliber group. On paper, at least.

A lot will depend on how they fill out their bench. Backup center Elizabeth Williams re-signed to a two-year deal, but the rest of the rotation remains unsettled.

They’ll also need to start evaluating their point guard of the future. Neither Diggins, 35, nor Courtney Vandersloot, 37, is a long-term answer. Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 pick in 2025, struggled to adapt as a rookie and is still recovering from an ankle injury.

The Sky added another option into the mix by trading for Jacy Sheldon. The No. 5 pick in 2024 draft bounced around her first two years — traded to Connecticut after her rookie season in Dallas, then dealt to Washington midway through 2025. But her stock climbed last season as she improved her 3-point percentage from 30.9 to 39.6.

Was that a fluke or the real deal? Can she keep developing into a high-quality starter?

The Sky gave up their 2028 first-round draft pick to find out.

Players Signing Deals