The 2024 WNBA Draft is tomorrow and teams are already jockeying for position to select from the next generation of stars in women’s basketball. The Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx are finalizing a trade that will include a swap of first-round picks in tomorrow’s draft, according to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times. The trade also includes a swap of players and future draft capital.
Complete trade terms are as follows:
Chicago Sky receive:
- 2024 1st round pick (#7 overall)
- Forward Nikolina Milić
Minnesota Lynx receive:
- 2024 1st round pick (#8 overall)
- Forward/center Sika Koné
- 2025 2nd round pick
- Rights to swap 2026 1st round pick
The move appears to benefit both teams which are taking different approaches to reinforcing their rosters.
Minnesota swaps out Milić, who wasn’t a lock to make the final roster for the Lynx, for an athletic player with upside in Koné.
Koné was selected in the third round of the 2022 WNBA Draft by New York. She was in camp with the Liberty this past spring but ultimately was cut before being picked up by Chicago. Koné appeared in 20 games for the Sky and averaged 3.6 points and 3.0 rebounds off the bench.
Milić is an undrafted player out of Bosnia and Herzegovina. She joined Minnesota in the 2022 season. She appeared in 39 games this past season and averaged 5.9 points and 2.4 rebounds per game.
Chicago’s full list of draft capital in the 2024 WNBA Draft includes:
- 1st round pick (3rd overall) via Phoenix Mercury
- 1st round pick (7th overall) via Minnesota Lynx
- 2nd round pick (13th overall) via Phoenix Mercury
Minnesota’s full list of draft capital in the 2024 WNBA Draft includes:
- 1st round pick (8th overall) via Atlanta Dream from Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky
- 3rd round pick (30th overall)
Who will Chicago Sky, Minnesota Lynx select after their pick swap in the 2024 WNBA Draft?
How will this trade impact the middle of the first round of the 2024 WNBA Draft?
This draft class is headlined by superstar Iowa guard Caitlin Clark, who is projected to be selected first overall by the Indiana Fever. Other top prospects include Stanford’s Cameron Brink, South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso, UConn’s Aaliyah Edwards, and LSU’s Angel Reese.
The Minnesota Lynx have been one of the WNBA’s best drafting teams in recent seasons. This trade builds on that strength, allowing the team to add a future 2nd and the flexibility to swap firsts with Chicago in 2026 — all for moving down one spot in this year’s draft and swapping players. While that may put them out of range of this year’s top prospects, it opens exciting possibilities for the team in future seasons.
Meanwhile, the Chicago Sky are set to make a splash in tomorrow’s draft. Chicago now holds picks #3 and #7 overall in an absolutely loaded draft class. If the Sky make smart selections in the first round, they could solidify their future and possibly get over the hump with some postseason success in 2024.
Recent mock drafts have linked the Chicago Sky to center Kamilla Cardoso and guard Dyaisha Fair, while Minnesota has been linked to LSU forward Angel Reese. Now that Chicago and Minnesota have swapped picks, it is possible that the Sky could possibly add both Cardoso and Reese. The team may also select an entirely different pair from the top tier of prospects.
The 2024 WNBA Draft will take place at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York. It will begin at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday.
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