Chicago Sky Having Discussions About Trading No. 3 WNBA Draft Pick, Per Insider

The Chicago Sky might have to part ways with their No. 3 draft pick to sign a former franchise icon.
Aug 20, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) reacts during the second half of Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
Aug 20, 2022; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky guard Courtney Vandersloot (22) reacts during the second half of Game 2 of the first round of the WNBA playoffs against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Despite it still not being February 1 (which is when WNBA free agents can officially sign deals with new teams), there have been plenty of announcements regarding moves getting made among teams.

One team that has remained dormant to his point is the Chicago Sky. While they were reportedly acquiring about trading for former Seattle Storm star Jewell Loyd, she was ultimately dealt to the Las Vegas Aces.

Now the Sky will need to look elsewhere in order to improve their roster for 2025. And a January 28 article from Chicago Sun-Time reporter Annie Costabile detailed some discussions they're currently having.

"Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca and new coach Tyler Marsh met with unrestricted free agent Courtney Vandersloot and restricted free agent DiJonai Carrington last week in Miami. Since then, the only free-agent news surrounding the Sky is that Pagliocca has been in talks with several general managers about possibly dealing the No. 3 overall draft pick, multiple league sources told the Sun-Times," Costabile wrote.

She later added, "The Sky’s only hope of landing a player such as Vandersloot is if Pagliocca can move the team’s lottery pick to get an experienced shooting guard or two-way wing."

Costabile concluded the article by writing, "If Pagliocca doesn’t see a path toward signing Vandersloot, holding on to the No. 3 pick is advantageous. But as long as he has a shot at signing Vandersloot, expect that pick to remain on the table."

Vandersloot spent the first 12 seasons of her WNBA career with the Chicago Sky before joining the New York Liberty in 2023. Now she's seemingly open to a reunion with Chicago, but only if they can secure an elite wing in return for the No. 3 draft pick.

Is this a price the Sky are willing to pay in order to win right now? Time will tell.


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Grant Young
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.