The Sky may not be falling, but it does look quite different.
Since their magical run to the WNBA title in 2021, the Chicago Sky have undergone a profound transformation to where they are now mostly unrecognizable from where they were then.
Their then-head coach and general manager James Wade is gone. Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley, Azurá Stevens, Emma Meesseman and Stefanie Dolson set up shop on both coasts or abroad. Fast forward to this past year and their interim head coach, Emre Vantasaver, has left. Courtney Williams and Alanna Smith both signed with the Minnesota Lynx. Rebekah Gardner remains unsigned and her future is unknown.
But the biggest surprise came when the face of the franchise—Kahleah Copper, the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP who is affectionately referred to as KVP—was traded to the Phoenix Mercury. This came after she signed a two-year contract extension with the Sky back in September and, soon thereafter, was sitting alongside the new head coach Teresa Weatherspoon during her debut press conference. Weatherspoon credited Copper for her decision to coach in Chicago.
As a result of Copper’s trade, the Sky will welcome four draft picks, most crucially the No. 3 pick in 2024. With that selection, the Sky could bring Paige Bueckers of…
