The Washington Mystics are trading two-time WNBA All-Star Ariel Atkins to the Chicago Sky in exchange for the No. 3 pick in this year’s draft, the team announced on Sunday.
Washington also receives swap rights for Chicago’s 2027 first-round pick and acquires its second-round pick. ESPN first reported the news.
A 2019 WNBA champion with the Mystics and 2020 Olympian, Atkins averaged just under 15 points per game for Washington in 2024 when the Mystics just missed a playoff appearance. Chicago is receiving experience to bolster its roster during a critical time of rebuild. Atkins adds to a team that includes incoming second-year star Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, and Chicago added the likes of Kia Nurse and veteran Courtney Vandersloot.
“We are building a program to sustain a period of contention during the next era of Mystics Basketball. Our ambitious return to prolonged excellence requires time, intention, and difficult decisions,” general manager Jamila Wideman said in a statement Sunday. “Trading Ariel, a champion and celebrated Mystic, is one of those difficult decisions. In exchange, we are afforded another opportunity to select a young impact player at the top of the draft who can be part of our aspirational future.”
In contention for a playoff spot until the…
