Chicago Sky Coach Addresses Team Potentially Tanking For WNBA Draft
The Chicago Sky have lost seven consecutive games and are now tied for the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoffs. They would also now have to win all seven games remaining on their schedule if they wanted to match their 18-22 record from 2023.
Some of their recent woes can be chalked up to guard Chennedy Carter missing Chicago's last four games due to an illness. But even when Carter has been on the court over the past month, Chicago has largely played without passion and enthusiasm aside from their two standout rookies Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
This is likely because it's apparent to everyone outside of the Sky's organization (and perhaps inside it as well) that Chicago does not have a talented enough roster to compete in the WNBA playoffs, especially against a top team like the New York Liberty.
Therefore, looking forward to 2025 makes sense for the Sky. And given how much success Chicago had in the 2024 WNBA Draft, it's reasonable to wonder whether they'd be better suited to keep losing games in the hope of landing a more coveted 2025 WNBA Draft pick.
Although Chicago's first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon made it clear on Thursday that "tanking" is not in the cards for her team.
"We're not there," Weatherspoon responded when asked about the possibility of Chicago weighing draft picks against a playoff berth, per Julia Poe. "We're not thinking there. We’re thinking about staying in the playoffs, where we are right now.
"Better ourselves as we move, gain our momentum to do what we wanna do in the playoffs. That’s our mission. Nothing else matters,” Weatherspoon concluded.
Teresa Weatherspoon on the possibility of the Sky weighing draft picks against a playoff berth: “We’re not there yet. We’re thinking about staying in the playoffs. … That’s our mission. Nothing else matters.” pic.twitter.com/tF4XG6YcIv
— Julia Poe (@byjuliapoe) September 5, 2024
It would have been a shock to hear Weatherspoon answer this question in any other way. Yet, it would also be a shock if Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca wasn't pondering the same question more acutely right now — although he'd likely never admit it.
GRANT YOUNG
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.