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It will be fair to say that the Chicago Sky are currently embroiled in a season far different from what was expected. They are 12th in the WNBA standings with a 7-21 record and look a fair way away from even competing for the playoffs.
And things only seem to be getting worse, so much so that Marc Stein of The Stein Line has proposed a desperate measure to what he calls an offseason mistake. The Sky traded the No. 3 pick of the 2025 WNBA draft in the deal that saw them land 2-time All-Star Ariel Atkins. However, the gamble, especially in light of Courtney Vandersloot’s injury, has failed to pay off.
“It helps that Chicago owns Phoenix’s first-rounder, which it can swap for Connecticut’s pick, thanks to the Marina Mabrey trade, but this is a team that desperately needs to get younger, and the best way to swallow its offseason mistakes, and reverse course, is by making Atkins available in trade talks,” Stein wrote.
Atkins has actually had a decent season individually. She has averaged 13.9 points, 3.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game. However, the Sky have lacked Vandersloot’s all-around scoring prowess, and have been too easy to break down. Even Angel Reese's consistent presence has not helped churn out wins.
“A team like Seattle would love her combination of floor spacing, defense, and championship experience. The only thing stopping the Sky, beyond an under-the-table nudge suggesting that Atkins will re-sign long term after her contract expires at the end of this season, is pride,” Stein wrote.
Atkins is currently out due to a hamstring problem but is understood to be close to a return. Marc Stein clearly believes that for the Sky, trading her was a mistake.
However, the player still holds obvious value due to her sheer scoring ability, and the Sky are in dire need of a direction change, as things stand.
