The Chicago Sky paid a hefty price in their blockbuster trade for Marina Mabrey, but coach and general manager James Wade defended the deal.
The 26-year-old guard came to Chicago from the Dallas Wings as part of a four-team trade, which saw the Sky give up a 2023 first-round draft pick and a 2024 first-round draft pick, plus three more draft picks. But Wade would rather have a player he knows rather than question marks, even despite stacked upcoming draft classes.
“I know what she does, and I know what she brings to the table,” Wade said of Mabrey. “So that’s who we’re going to rock with. I understand that the ’23 and ’24 draft picks can be great players.”
Still, he expressed confidence in the construction of his roster, for the 2023 season and beyond.
“I’m not f—ing planning on losing,” he told reporters Wednesday.
Mabrey averaged 12.8 points and 3.7 rebounds per game through three seasons in Dallas. She averaged 13.6 points per game last season, a career high.
The former Notre Dame star joins a lineup headlined by 2021 WNBA Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. Her addition helps offset the losses of Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot, Emma…
