3 Chicago Sky Players on Thin Ice After the WNBA Draft

The Chicago Sky made some noise at the 2024 WNBA Draft as they potentially found two franchise cornerstones in Kamilla Cardoso (No. 3 overall) and Angel Reese (No. 7). The Sky were one of three teams who had two picks in the first round.

Chicago hopes to return to the WNBA Finals in the near future, which they did in 2021 with the core of Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Diamond DeShields, and Courtney Vandersloot. 

However, it won’t be easy as the Sky are in a rebuilding/retooling phase under first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. Chicago has a good set of veterans, but this isn’t the same team that went to the playoffs last year as Copper and Courtney Williams are on different teams.

Before we look ahead to the start of the regular season, it’s a perfect time to look at the roster with the WNBA Draft in the rearview. Below, we’ll discuss three players who could be on thin ice as the Sky try to forge a new identity under Weatherspoon.

1. Chennedy Carter

The Sky only added one guard in the WNBA Draft Monday night – Brynna Maxwell out of Gonzaga (second round). Maxwell will likely be competing against Chennedy Carter and Kysre Gondrezick for one of the final roster spots on the Sky.

Carter was signed to a training camp contract earlier this year after not playing in the WNBA since the 2022 season. The former fourth-overall pick has been playing overseas in China with Heilongjiang.

Carter averaged 28.9 points and 8.4 rebounds per game. The Sky is the perfect landing spot for the former first-round pick as they could use an additional scorer outside of Dana Evans and Marina Mabrey.

The former Texas A&M standout had a great rookie season with the Atlanta Dream, averaging 17.4 points and 3.4 assists per game. Carter was recognized for her play and named to the WNBA’s All-Rookie Team.

After being named to the All-Rookie Team and finishing second in the ROY race, Carter played in 11 games with the Dream in 2021 before having her contract suspended by Atlanta. 

The Dream traded Carter to the Los Angeles Sparks that next season, where she averaged 8.9 points and 1.9 assists in 16.4 minutes per game (24 games, 2 starts). If Carter can play like the guard we saw her rookie year, Chicago might’ve found a diamond in the rough.