The Chicago Sky have leaned on several players as sources of offense during the first half of the 2024 WNBA season. However, one contributor has separated herself from the pack. Former Atlanta Dream lottery pick and first-year Sky guard Chennedy Carter displayed strong scoring efforts during the season's first half. But did her play earn a high midseason assessment?
Chennedy Carter started her professional career when the Dream selected her with the fourth overall pick in the 2020 WNBA Draft. She had an impressive rookie year, averaging a career-high 17.4 points on a 37.5 percent three-point shooting clip. Carter played one more season with the Dream before being suspended for “conduct detrimental to the team.” She then got a fresh start with the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022 but was eventually waived from the team.
Carter bided her time playing overseas in China and Turkey. Most notably, she had an incredible run with Bursa in 2023, averaging 25.0 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 2.5 steals per game. Carter found her way back to the WNBA in 2024 when she earned a roster spot with the Sky. She has exceeded expectations since joining the team.
Chennedy Carter has emerged as the Sky's go-to scorer
Grade: B+
Through the first 23 games of the 2024 WNBA season, Carter averages 16.4 points and a career-high 1.2 steals. She leads Chicago in scoring, and when examining her play, it is not hard to see why. Carter is an exceptional shot-creator and often catches defenders off guard with her ability to quickly change directions.
When Marina Mabrey or the Sky's interior contributors could not produce early on in the season, Carter provided instant offense. She started the season as a sparkplug off the bench. But after a string of team-leading performances, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon elevated her to the starting lineup.
Carter had one of her most impressive performances of the year against the reigning champion Las Vegas Aces on July 16. The 25-year-old notched a game-high and season-high 34 points in the Sky's 93-85 win.
However, Carter's time with the Sky has not been perfect. During Chicago's June 1 game against the Indiana Fever, officials gave Carter a flagrant 1 foul for shoulder-checking Caitlin Clark to the ground. Carter's move was excessive and was not the best look for her or the Sky. Nevertheless, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon revealed a conversation she had with Carter about conducting herself better in the heat of competition.
All things considered, Carter has earned a B+ grade for her efforts through the season's first half.
Carter continues to grow more comfortable with Chicago as time goes by, and she has attributed her rise in performance to the support of her coaches and teammates.
Carter gives credit to Chicago for ascent
“I think it's really just [Teresa Weatherspoon] and Ty Young just staying in my ear… the changes that have been made, just locking in on players, our development. And I think tonight that really showed,” Carter said when asked about her offensive consistency after the July 16 Aces win.
“I think it's just a testament to everything I've been through and that I've done. I've been overshadowed a lot in my career. People don't understand that I'm a consistent player, and I'm gonna come out there and be a dog night in and night out. I think now, I'm getting comfortable. Spoon's allow me to make mistakes, keeping me in the game. She's allowing me to be me, and it's benefiting myself and my team as well,” Carter added.
It seems as if there is no limit to what Carter can do offensively. If she continues to play well and develop more chemistry with her teammates, she should be a great piece for the Sky for a long time. It will be interesting to how she and her team perform during the season's second half.
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