Chicago Sky's Predicted 2024 Collapse Raises Concerning Questions
The Chicago Sky haven't looked great since the WNBA's month-long Paris Olympics break ended.
While they did secure a four-point victory over the 6-20 Los Angeles Sparks, they played poorly and were losing for most of that game. And that Chicago win was sandwiched between two decisive losses to the Phoenix Mercury.
While the Sky are currently clinging to the No. 8 spot in the WNBA standings (which would get them into the playoffs), an August 19 article from The Athletic's Sabreena Merchant predicts that Chicago will fall out of playoff contention by the season's end.
"The Sky have five players under contract next season, two of whom figure to be part of the future core in Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso," Merchant wrote after predicting the Sky to finish 9th in the WNBA 2024 regular season standings.
"Dana Evans will be a restricted free agent, so Chicago can keep her around on a long-term contract if she shows compatibility with the frontcourt duo. Thus far, Lindsay Allen and Chennedy Carter have been far better perimeter complements, but this is Evans’ chance to make her case to stick around. Even if it doesn’t go well, losing isn’t the worst-case scenario for the Sky, which could still land in the lottery if they and the Wings both miss the playoffs."
With more than half of their roster not under contract for next year, Sky's front office will have to address many questions about how they want to construct their future around Reese and Cardoso.
Keeping Carter around would make a lot of sense, given her talent and how she has proven to complement Chicago's current frontcourt.
But what about aside from that? The Sky could surely use more shooters, but those are hard to come by in the WNBA.
While it remains to be seen how the Sky will finish the 2024 regular season — and whether that finish will earn them a playoff spot — they'll regardless have a lot of pressing questions to answer this offseason.
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.