The Chicago Sky are officially on a near month-break due to the Paris Olympics. The Sky heads into the break with a 10-14 record (8th seed).
Despite their losing record, the Sky have exceeded expectations this season, including the breakout of the All-Star Rookie — Angel Reese and the ascension of guard Chennedy Carter — who has become the go-to option and the team’s leading scorer.
Here are four questions facing the Sky in the second half of the season.
4 Questions for the Chicago Sky for the Remainder of the Season
1. Will the Sky make the playoffs?
Despite being predicted to finish as a bottom-four team before the season, the Sky are on track to earn the final playoff spot. They’re currently the eighth seed, equal in the (game’s back department) but behind in (percentage points) to the seventh seed Indiana Fever (11-15).
The Sky are 5-5 in their last 10 games and 6-6 on the road, the league’s sixth-best road record. They’re three games ahead of the Atlanta Dream (7-17) for the eighth and final playoff seed.
This roster isn’t the most offensively potent, especially with the Sky trading Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Suns and likely doesn’t have a deep playoff run in them. Qualifying for the playoffs and getting their promising rookies Reese and Kamilla Cardoso their first round of playoff experience would be an overall win for a rebuilding team.
2. How will the Sky use the Olympic break to prepare for the second half?
Rest. That’s the most important factor, especially for Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, who haven’t had a break since their college seasons began in October.
The Olympic break will give teams nearly a full month’s off from games, from July 21 to Aug. 14. Since the Sky don’t have any Olympians, they will have the opportunity for full-team workouts during that time, a notable leg up for a group that has lacked cohesion even after 24 games together.
Other clear priorities for the Sky during the break are improving their three-point shooting for the entire roster smoothing out schemes and utilizing the pick-and-roll better, especially with Cardoso.
3. Who will replace Marina Mabrey in the starting lineup?
The Sky traded Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Suns. Here’s the full trade details:
- Connecticut Sun receive: Guard Marina Mabrey, 2025 second-round pick
- Chicago Sky receive: Guards Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson, 2025 first-round pick, the right to swap first-round picks in 2026
Coach Teresa Weatherspoon made some notable adjustments in recent weeks, pulling Mabrey out of closing units in clutch moments when she performed well. The Sky are 7-11 in games with a margin of five or fewer points in the final five minutes.
Mabrey has been in a shooting slump this season, shooting 38.1% from the floor (her worst since her rookie season) and 34.8% from deep. There was a noticeable dip in her production and usage rate — due to the ascension of Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese.
Even with the regression of Mabrey this season, the Sky have a big gap to fill with the departure of Mabrey as she averaged 14 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.5 assists per game while being the team’s secondary shot-creator and playmaker, plus being the team’s highest volume and best three-point shooter.
The Sky already have issues with three-point shooting and floor spacing as they’re the third worst three-point shooting team and the lowest volume three-point shooting team in the league. Filling in Mabrey’s spot in the starting lineup will be quite the task for the Sky for the remainder of the season. The ideal player to fill in the vacant starting spot would be Michaela Onyenwere.
4. Is there a future for Dana Evans with the Sky?
The window has likely shut for Dana Evans to carve out a long-term spot on the Sky. After finishing third in Sixth Player of the Year voting in 2023, Evans lost the starting point guard position for the second consecutive season. Although Evans’ productivity has remained stable — 7.5 points, 3 assists, a steal, and 1.5 turnovers per game — Evans struggled to provide the offensive pop the Sky needed at the beginning of the season.
Not everything is negative about Evans’ performance this season. For instance, she’s having one of the better three-point shooting years of her career with a 35.4% clip on 2.7 attempts per game. However, the Sky need to emphasize higher-volume scoring guards in the offseason, and Evans has not provided enough productivity as either a facilitator or a shotmaker to fit that mold.
With Evans’ inability to to hold on to a starting job under two coaches in Chicago over the past two seasons, it wouldn’t be shocking if Evans is traded by the trade deadline and it’s unlikely that Evans will remain with the Sky when she becomes a free agent this offseason.
Main Image: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
