After becoming a minority owner of the Chicago Sky, former NBA superstar and Utah Jazz part-owner Dwyane Wade has enabled himself to be a fixture of a franchise that won a championship just two years ago. One that has the opportunity to reclaim their status with a talented team led by star wing Kahleah Copper.

An eight-year veteran that's made three consecutive All-Star appearances since breaking out in 2020, Copper's elite scoring ability has led to a career-high scoring average of 18.7 points per game (ranked 10th in the W) this season.

Wade, in his first appearance at Wintrust Arena since joining the Sky ownership group in July, speaks about the importance of the upcoming stretch for Copper and what he believes the team needs in order to recover from the losses of Courtney Vandersloot, Candace Parker and Emma Meesseman.

“Coming off of a championship (in 2021), it's tough to lose the core — a lot of great pieces,” Wade says, per the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe. “And to have an All-Star like Kahleah … big summer for her, big summer for us. We don't want to rebuild and start all over. We have a centerpiece. And your goal is to build around a centerpiece with the right pieces.”

“Your perception is your reality. So my challenge to us is what is our perception as a team, and let's figure out a way to change the perception so our reality can look different.”

The Sky are currently 9-14, fifth in the East after losing five of their last six games.