Sky Gets Bleak Outlook for 2026
Now that the WNBA Finals are over, the 2025 season has officially come to an end. Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh saw his former team, the Las Vegas Aces, win a third title in the last four seasons.
One of the Sky's players from the 2021 WNBA championship, Dana Evans, was a part of the Aces this season. Just like Evans, many players are set to be free agents and will be looking for new homes.
According to senior writer Michael Vopel from ESPN, "This offseason will be the busiest in league history. A new collective bargaining agreement is needed, plus expansion drafts for two new franchises and the draft lottery. Then comes a free agency bonanza that includes almost every player who isn't currently on a rookie contract."
For Chicago, only four players from this year's roster are signed for the 2026 WNBA season. Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Hailey Van Lith, and Maddy Westbeld are those four. However, veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot has expressed her interest in returning to the Sky next season.
During the weekend, Vopel released the early predictions of each team for the 2026 season. Newcomers the Portland Fire and the Toronto Tempo were not included in his rankings, as neither team having their expansion draft selection.
The future of the franchise is here. #SkyTown pic.twitter.com/G1XtXybLPJ
— CHGO Sky (@CHGO_Sky) April 16, 2024
Where do the Sky rank in these 'too-early' 2026 predictions?
Las Vegas ranks number one overall for next season. It's hard to go against a team that's not only fresh off a third WNBA title this decade, but one that also finished the regular season on a 16-game win streak.
Behind the Aces are the runner-ups from the 2025 WNBA Finals, the Phoenix Mercury. However, virtually every player is a free agent except for Kalani Brown. Even former Sky star Kahleah Copper could be on a new team in 2026.
The rest of the top teams are the Atlanta Dream, the Minnesota Lynx, the Indiana Fever, and the New York Liberty. Two teams finished with the worst record in the WNBA during the regular season: the Dallas Wings and the Sky.
Both Chicago and Dallas won just 10 games but Vopel is lower on the Sky out of the current 13 WNBA teams. After the recent success of the Golden State Valkyries during their inaugural season, it's hard to peg the Fire or the Tempo as the worst time for 2026.
But for the Sky, they were a team that battled more than just injuries. Even though Reese led the league in rebounding, she was the team's leading scorer despite scoring less than 15 points per game.
Chicago had issues with ball control as they committed the most turnovers in 2025 (15.6 per game). Through free agency and the 2026 WNBA Draft, the Sky could get better. Vopel mentions Reese's public comments about her team and the organization late in the season as a possible drawback or hurdle.
For now, the players and team owners will await on the new collective bargaining agreement, then the free agency period to open ahead of multiple drafts. For the sake of Marsh's job, Chicago needs to have a much better season where the Sky grow and return to the WNBA playoffs.
feed
My name is Scott Conrad and I am a Contributor for the Chicago Sky with Sports Illustrated.com. I am also a Contributor with FanSided on NinerNoise, as well as Da Windy City. In addition, I am the Site Editor/Expert for The View from Avalon. I spent two seasons (2015 & 2016) with the Tampa Bay Times as a Correspondent covering high school football. I am a two-time published author with more work to come. In my teenage years, I started watching both MLS and WNBA start in 1996 and grow to be the juggernauts they are in their respective sports. Much love to the career on and off the court for fellow-Napervillian and former Sky forward Candace Parker. Outside of the sports journalism world, I am a travel volleyball coach. I accepted the Head Coach position with Greater Cincinnati Volleyball Club for their U13-2 team. In terms of active sports, I play volleyball, soccer, softball, kickball and train in mixed martial arts.