Chicago Sky general manager and head coach James Wade has resigned from both roles in order to take a job as an assistant coach with the Toronto Raptors, the team announced on Saturday. Emre Vatansever will replace Wade as interim GM and head coach effective immediately.
“We are thrilled that James can fulfill a lifelong dream to join the NBA, and we send him our warmest congratulations and best wishes,” Sky Principal Owner Michael Alter said in a press release. “We thank James for establishing a winning, team-oriented culture in Chicago and leading the Sky to our first ever WNBA Championship in 2021.”
Wade joined the Sky in 2019 and oversaw the most successful era in the franchise’s history. In his first season, the team won 20 games, snapped a two-year playoff drought and he was named Coach of the Year. A few years later, he signed Candace Parker in free agency and coached the team to its first ever title in 2021. Last season, the Sky won a franchise-record 26 games and finished in a tie for the best record in the league. All told the Sky went 81-59, made four consecutive playoff appearances and won a title in four-plus seasons under Wade.
But for all of his success, the nature of his departure will…
