Chicago Sky
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

The Chicago Sky are an American professional
basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...
team based in
Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...
. The Sky compete in the
Women's National Basketball Association The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) is a women's professional basketball league in the United States. The league comprises 13 teams (scheduled to expand to 15 in 2026). The WNBA is headquartered in Midtown Manhattan. The WNBA w ...
(WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference. The franchise was founded prior to the 2006 season. The Sky experienced a period of success from 2013 to 2016, making four playoff appearances and playing in the 2014 WNBA Finals. They experienced a second period of success from 2019 to 2022 and won their first championship in the
2021 WNBA Finals The 2021 WNBA Finals, officially the WNBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2021 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The finals featured the f ...
. The team is owned by Michael J. Alter (principal owner) and Nadia Rawlinson (co-owner & chairman). Unlike many other WNBA teams, it is not affiliated with a
National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
(NBA) counterpart, although the
Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The team was founded on January 16 ...
play in the same market.


History


Franchise origin

In February 2005, NBA Commissioner
David Stern David Joel Stern (September 22, 1942 – January 1, 2020) was an American lawyer and business executive who was the commissioner of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1984 to 2014. Stern oversaw NBA basketball's growth into one of t ...
announced that Chicago had been awarded a new WNBA franchise, temporarily named ''WNBA Chicago''. On May 27, 2005, former
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
player and coach
Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the B ...
was announced as the team's first head coach and general manager. The team home would be the
UIC Pavilion Credit Union 1 Arena (previously known as UIC Pavilion) is a multi-purpose arena located at 525 S. Racine Avenue on the Near West Side in Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1982. Description and history Credit Union 1 Arena is located on the campu ...
. On September 20, 2005, the team name and logo formally debuted at an introduction event held at the
Adler Planetarium The Adler Planetarium is a public museum in Chicago, Illinois, dedicated to astronomy and astrophysics. It was founded in 1930 by local businessman Max Adler (Sears), Max Adler. Located on the northeastern tip of Northerly Island on Lake Michigan ...
. Team President and
CEO A chief executive officer (CEO), also known as a chief executive or managing director, is the top-ranking corporate officer charged with the management of an organization, usually a company or a nonprofit organization. CEOs find roles in variou ...
Margaret Stender explained the team colors of yellow and blue represent " beautiful day in Chicago between the blue
sky The sky is an unobstructed view upward from the planetary surface, surface of the Earth. It includes the atmosphere of Earth, atmosphere and outer space. It may also be considered a place between the ground and outer space, thus distinct from ...
and bright
sunlight Sunlight is the portion of the electromagnetic radiation which is emitted by the Sun (i.e. solar radiation) and received by the Earth, in particular the visible spectrum, visible light perceptible to the human eye as well as invisible infrare ...
to highlight the spectacular skyline." The event was highlighted by the appearance of several star players, including
Diana Taurasi Diana Lorena Taurasi (born June 11, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player who played in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for 20 seasons, spending her entire career with the Phoenix Mercury. Taurasi is widely ...
,
Temeka Johnson Temeka Rochelle Johnson (born September 6, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player. Her primary position was a point guard. Early life Johnson attended Bonnabel High School in Kenner, Louisiana. College career Johnson played ...
,
Sue Bird Suzanne Brigit Bird (born October 16, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player who played her entire career with the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Bird was drafted first overall pick by t ...
, and
Ruth Riley Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a retired American professional basketball player (a center), playing most recently for the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA ...
. In November 2005, the team held an
expansion draft An expansion draft, in professional sports, occurs when a sports league decides to create one or more new expansion teams or sports franchising, franchises. This occurs mainly in Sports in North America, North American sports and closed leagues. O ...
to help build its roster of players. Among the notable selections were
Brooke Wyckoff Brooke Wyckoff (born March 30, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Florida State Seminoles women's basketball team. A 6'1" forward from Florida State, Wyckoff played in the WNBA from 2001 ...
from the
Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...
, Bernadette Ngoyisa from the
San Antonio Silver Stars The San Antonio Stars were a professional basketball team based in San Antonio, playing in the Western Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded in Salt Lake City, Utah, as the Utah Starzz before th ...
,
Elaine Powell Elaine Powell (born August 9, 1975) is an American assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx and former professional basketball player. A point guard born in Monroe, Louisiana, she played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2008. College career In two years ...
from the
Detroit Shock The Detroit Shock were a Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) team based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. They were the 2003, 2006, and 2008 WNBA champions. Debuting in 1998, the Shock were one of the league's first expansion franchises. Th ...
, and Stacey Dales (who had retired prior to the 2005 season) from the
Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...
. On February 28, 2006, the team announced that two of the minority shareholders of the team are
Michelle Williams Michelle Williams or Michele Williams may refer to: * Michelle Ann Williams (born circa 1965), American public health scholar * Michelle Williams (singer) (born 1979), American singer, previously a member of Destiny's Child * Michelle Williams (actr ...
, from the vocal group
Destiny's Child Destiny's Child was an American girl group whose final lineup comprised Beyoncé, Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland, and Michelle Williams (singer), Michelle Williams. The group began their musical career as Girl's Tyme, formed in 1990 in Hou ...
, and
Mathew Knowles Mathew Knowles (born January 9, 1952)Knowles in is an American record executive, businessman and university lecturer. He is best known for being the manager of Destiny's Child. He also once managed the solo careers of his daughters Beyoncé a ...
, father of Destiny's Child lead singer
Beyoncé Knowles Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, actress, and businesswoman. With a career spanning over three decades, she has established herself as one of the most culturally significant figu ...
.


Early years and limited success (2006–2012)

With their first ever college draft pick, the Sky selected
Candice Dupree Candice Dupree (born August 16, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the women's basketball team at Tennessee State University. She was selected sixth in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Chicago ...
sixth overall in the
2006 WNBA draft On April 5, 2006, the WNBA Draft took place at the Boston Convention and Exhibition Center. The draft was held in conjunction with the 2006 NCAA women's basketball tournament, which had its championship game the night before at the TD Banknor ...
. In their first season, the Sky achieved a 5–29 record and finished last in the Eastern Conference. After the season, head coach
Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the B ...
resigned to join the coaching staff of the
Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Central Division (NBA), Central Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), East ...
. University of Missouri-Kansas City women's basketball head coach Bo Overton was named the Sky's new head coach and general manager on December 12, 2006. Despite having the highest odds of drawing the first pick in the
2007 WNBA draft The 2007 WNBA draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. A lottery was held on October 26, 2006, among the teams with the worst records in the previous se ...
lottery, the Sky ended up with the third overall pick, which they used to select
Armintie Price Armintie Ada (Price) Herrington (born April 3, 1985) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Price, who played collegiately at the Universit ...
. The team was vastly improved in the 2007 season, but still finished with a 14–20 record and were two games behind the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. Price was named the 2007
WNBA Rookie of the Year The Women's National Basketball Association's Rookie of the Year Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the 1998 WNBA season, to the top rookie of the regular season. The winner is selected by a panel o ...
. On March 12, 2008, the Sky announced that Overton had resigned his position of coach/general manager amid harassment allegations. Assistant coach
Steven Key Steven Key (born May 14, 1968) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional player. Career Key attended Atholton High School in Columbia, Maryland, and was named the 1986 Howard County Player of the Year. He was a four- ...
was named head coach/general manager. With the second overall pick in the
2008 WNBA draft The WNBA draft is the league's annual process for determining which Women's National Basketball Association teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The 2008 draft was held on April 9. A lottery was held on Octobe ...
, the Sky selected
Sylvia Fowles Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, WNBA MVP Award in 2017 ...
. In the 2008 season, the Sky once again failed to make the playoffs, posting a 12–22 record and finishing 5th in the East, as Fowles missed 17 games due to a knee injury. In the 2009 WNBA draft, the Sky selected point guard
Kristi Toliver Kristi Renee Toliver (born January 27, 1987) is an American-Slovak professional basketball coach and former player who is the associate head coach for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). During her rookie se ...
with the third overall pick. In the 2009 season, the Sky contended for a playoff position, but finished with a record of 16-18 and lost a three-team tiebreaker to the
Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...
for the final playoff position. Entering the 2010 season, the Sky moved to
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
in the suburb of
Rosemont, Illinois Rosemont is a village in Cook County, Illinois, United States, located immediately northwest of Chicago. As of the 2020 census, the village had a population of 3,952. The village was incorporated in 1956, though it had been settled long before ...
. In the
2010 WNBA draft The 2010 WNBA draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 8, 2010. The first round was shown on ESPN2 ( HD), while the second and ...
, the Sky selected
Epiphanny Prince Epiphanny Prince (born January 11, 1988) is a Russian-American former professional basketball player. She is best known for scoring 113 points for Murry Bergtraum in a high-school game in 2006, breaking a girls' national prep record previously ...
fourth overall. The team's roster underwent several changes, highlighted by the trades of Toliver and Dupree, and the acquisition of
Shameka Christon Shameka Delynn Christon (born February 15, 1982) is an American retired professional women's basketball player who most recently played with the Phoenix Mercury in the Women's National Basketball Association, WNBA. She attended college at the Un ...
and
Cathrine Kraayeveld Cathrine Helene Kraayeveld (born September 30, 1981) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA. High school and college Kraayeveld attended Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington and Bellevue Chri ...
. At one point during the season, they were at .500, just a few games back for the final playoff spot. However, they lost eight of their final ten games and were eliminated from playoff contention, finishing with a 14–20 record. Key resigned as GM and coach, and was replaced on October 28, 2010, by former
LSU Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...
head coach
Pokey Chatman Dana "Pokey" Chatman (born June 18, 1969) is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Chatman is the former head coach of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky of the WNBA. She is als ...
. In the
2011 WNBA draft The 2011 WNBA draft is the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 11, 2011, at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The first round ...
, the Sky selected
Courtney Vandersloot Courtney Vandersloot (born February 8, 1989) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She is a five-time WNBA All-Star and two-time WNBA champion. She has also playe ...
as the third overall pick. During the 2011 season, the team was once again led by Fowles, who averaged a
double-double In basketball, a double-double is a single-game performance in which a player accumulates ten or more in two of the following five statistical categories: points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocked shots. The first "double" in the ter ...
with 20 points and 10.2 rebounds per game, and was named
Defensive Player of the Year Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY or DPOTY) is the name of an award given in sports for outstanding defensive play by a single player over the course of a season. Many sports leagues award this type of award. League awards for Defensive Player o ...
. The Sky finished the season with a 14–20 record for the second year in a row but were encouraged by going 10–7 at home. Before the 2012 season, the Sky focused on adding more experience, signing former champions
Ticha Penicheiro Patrícia "Ticha" Nunes Penicheiro OIH (September 18, 1974) is a Portuguese sports agent and former basketball player. She played for the Sacramento Monarchs of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) for most of her professional car ...
and
Ruth Riley Ruth Ellen Riley Hunter (born August 28, 1979) is a retired American professional basketball player (a center), playing most recently for the Atlanta Dream in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Her Notre Dame team won the NCAA ...
, and trading the second pick in the
2012 WNBA draft The 2012 WNBA draft was the league's annual process for determining which teams receive the rights to negotiate with players entering the league. The draft was held on April 16, 2012, at the ESPN studios in Bristol, Connecticut. The first round ...
in exchange for
Swin Cash Swintayla Marie Cash Canal (born September 22, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player. She played in college for the University of Connecticut and professionally for 15 years in the Women's National Basketball Association (WN ...
and Le'Coe Willingham. The Sky began the season 7–1, but an injury to Prince derailed the team, which ultimately finished 14–20 for the third consecutive year.


Playoff runs (2013–2016)

The 2013 season was a turning point for the Sky. In
the draft Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it contin ...
, they selected
Elena Delle Donne Elena Delle Donne (born September 5, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player for 10 seasons as a member of the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to ...
with the second overall pick. Delle Donne became the first rookie to lead
All-Star An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
voting, averaging 18.1 points per game (fourth in the league) and leading the Sky to a 24–10 record and first place in the Eastern Conference. Delle Donne was named Rookie of the Year, Fowles was named Defensive Player of the Year for the second time and led the league in rebounds, and Cash received the
Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is an annual Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) award given since the league's inaugural season, to the player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court—ethical behavior, fair p ...
. Chatman finished a close second for
Coach of the Year Many sports leagues, sportswriting associations, and other organizations confer "Coach of the Year" awards. In some sports — including baseball and association football — the award is called the "Manager of the Year" award. Some of the ...
, Delle Donne narrowly missed the
Most Valuable Player award In team sports, a most valuable player (MVP) award is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particular competition, or ...
, and Fowles and Delle Donne were named to the All-WNBA first and second teams. Reaching the playoffs for the first time, the Sky lost in the conference semifinals to the
Indiana Fever The Indiana Fever are an American professional basketball team based in Indianapolis. The Fever compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was founded for ...
. In the 2014 season, the Sky posted an unimpressive 15–19 regular season record, but qualified for the playoffs as the 4th seed in the Eastern Conference. Guard
Allie Quigley Alexandria "Allie" Quigley (born June 20, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Quigley played for DePaul University in Chicago. After grad ...
, who had grown up in nearby
Joliet, Illinois Joliet ( ) is a city in Will County, Illinois, Will and Kendall County, Illinois, Kendall counties in the U.S. state of Illinois, located southwest of Chicago. It is the county seat of Will County, Illinois, Will County. It had a population of ...
, was named Sixth Woman of the Year. In the playoffs, they won two best-of-three series in the conference semifinals and finals to reach the
WNBA Finals The WNBA Finals is the championship series of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the conclusion of the league's postseason each fall. The series was named the WNBA Championship until 2002. The series is played between the win ...
for the first time. In the best-of-five series, they were swept by the
Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...
in three games. In February 2015, the Sky acquired Chicago native
Cappie Pondexter Cappie Marie Pondexter (born January 7, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and midrange ju ...
from the
New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...
in a straight-up trade for Prince. Fowles, who had refused to sign a contract extension, sat out the first half of the 2015 season until she was traded in a three-team deal that sent
Érika de Souza Érika Cristina de Souza (born 9 March 1982) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for BC Castors Braine of the EuroLeague.
to the Sky. The team posted a 21–13 record and earned second place in the Eastern Conference. Delle Donne was named the league's MVP, Vandersloot led the league in assists, and Quigley was once again named Sixth Woman of the Year. Despite their improved regular season performance, the Sky fell to the Indiana Fever in the conference semifinals. In the 2016 season, under the WNBA's new playoff format where teams were seeded regardless of conference, the Sky finished 4th in the league and returned to the playoffs. Missing the injured Delle Donne in the postseason, they lost 3–1 in the semifinals to the
Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...
.


Rebuilding (2017–2018)

The Sky hired Amber Stocks as head coach and general manager, replacing Chatman, on December 6, 2016. During the 2016–17 offseason, in what was called one of the biggest trades in league history, the Sky traded Delle Donne to the
Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...
, receiving
Kahleah Copper Kahleah Copper ( ; born August 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2016 ...
,
Stefanie Dolson Stefanie Dolson (born January 8, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted sixth overall in the 2014 WNBA draft. Dolson played center f ...
, and the Mystics' second overall pick (turned into Alaina Coates) in the 2017 WNBA draft. In the 2017 season, the Sky posted a 12–22 record and missed the playoffs for the first time in five seasons. Before the 2018 season, the Sky moved their home games to
Wintrust Arena Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side Community areas of Chicago, community area of Chicago t ...
. In the
2018 WNBA draft The 2018 WNBA draft was the league's draft for the 2018 WNBA season. On March 12, the league announced the draft would be held on April 12 at Nike New York Headquarters, a recently opened secondary headquarters for the athletic apparel giant loc ...
, the Sky selected Diamond DeShields and
Gabby Williams Gabrielle Lisa Williams (born September 9, 1996) is an American-French professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League and EuroLeague Wom ...
in the first round. The team posted a 13–21 record and missed the playoffs for a second consecutive season. On August 31, 2018, the Sky relieved Stocks as head coach and general manager. During these seasons, Vandersloot led the league in assists (setting a new assists-per-game record in 2017) and Quigley won back-to-back Three-Point Contests at the All-Star Game.


Return to the playoffs and first championship (2019–22)

In November 2018, the Sky hired
James Wade James Martin Wade (born 6 April 1983) is an English professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently ranked world number nine; he reached a peak ranking of world number two in 2010. ...
as the team's new head coach and general manager. The Sky selected
Katie Lou Samuelson Katie Lou Samuelson (born June 13, 1997) is an American professional basketball player basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. Samuelson i ...
in the first round of the 2019 WNBA draft and traded away Coates. The
2019 season Nineteen or 19 may refer to: * 19 (number) * One of the years 19 BC, AD 19, 1919, 2019 Films * ''19'' (film), a 2001 Japanese film * ''Nineteen'' (1987 film), a 1987 science fiction film * '' 19-Nineteen'', a 2009 South Korean film * '' Dici ...
would be a turnaround for the Sky, as they finished with a 20–14 record and entered the playoffs as a fifth seed. Wade received the Coach of the Year Award, and Vandersloot exceeded her own assists-per-game record for the second straight season. Vandersloot, Quigley, and DeShields were all named
All-Stars An all-star team is a group of people all having a high level of performance in their field. Originating in sports, it has since drifted into vernacular and has been borrowed heavily by the entertainment industry. Sports "All-star" as a sport ...
, and DeShields won the All-Star Game Skills Challenge. In the playoffs, they defeated the
Phoenix Mercury The Phoenix Mercury are an American professional basketball team based in Phoenix, Arizona. The Mercury compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. One of eight original franchises, it wa ...
in the first round, but then lost to the
Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home game ...
on the road on a buzzer-beater in the final seconds. In the 2020 season, which was shortened and held in a bubble in
Bradenton, Florida Bradenton ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Manatee County, Florida, Manatee County, Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the city's population is 55,698, up from 49,546 at the 2010 census. It is a pri ...
due to the
COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
, the Sky showed promise early in the season but battled injuries and ended the season with a sixth-seeded 12–10 record. They lost a first round single-elimination game to the Phoenix Mercury. On February 1, 2021, the Sky announced the signing of free agent
Candace Parker Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986), nicknamed "Ace", is an American former professional basketball player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA dr ...
, a two-time MVP and Finals MVP. Parker, who had grown up in
Naperville, Illinois Naperville ( ) is a city in DuPage County, Illinois, DuPage and Will County, Illinois, Will counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. It is a southwestern suburb of Chicago located west of the city on the DuPage River. As of the 2020 United State ...
and played her first 12 seasons in the league with the
Los Angeles Sparks The Los Angeles Sparks are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home games at Crypto.co ...
, stated that she wanted to return to her hometown team. The Sky had a volatile
2021 season 1 (one, unit, unity) is a number, numeral, and glyph. It is the first and smallest positive integer of the infinite sequence of natural numbers. This fundamental property has led to its unique uses in other fields, ranging from science to sp ...
, including a seven-game losing streak and a seven-game winning streak, which they ended with a 16–16 record. They entered the playoffs as the 6th seed, winning two single-elimination games and a semifinals series against the
Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...
on their way to the Finals. On October 17, 2021, the Sky won their first WNBA Championship after defeating the Phoenix Mercury 3–1 in the
2021 WNBA Finals The 2021 WNBA Finals, officially the WNBA Finals 2021 presented by YouTube TV for sponsorship reasons, was the best-of-five championship series for the 2021 season of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The finals featured the f ...
. Kahleah Copper was named the Finals MVP. A parade and rally to celebrate the team were held on October 19, 2021. Since the new playoff format was adopted, the Sky became the lowest-seeded team and first team without a winning record to win the championship. In the offseason, longtime center Dolson left the team in free agency and the Sky added former Finals MVP
Emma Meesseman Emma Meesseman (born 13 May 1993) is a Belgian professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe S.K. (women's basketball), Fenerbahçe of the Women's Basketball Super League and EuroLeague Women. After playing basketball in Belgium, Meesseman was ...
. The team's success continued in the 2022 season, posting a 26–10 record and earning the second seed. The Sky also appeared in the
WNBA Commissioner's Cup The WNBA Commissioner's Cup, known for sponsorship reasons as the WNBA Commissioner's Cup Presented By Coinbase, is an in-season competition of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) that begins at the start of the regular season and ...
, hosting the game but losing to the
Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home game ...
. In the playoffs, the Sky defeated the
New York Liberty The New York Liberty are an American professional basketball team based in the Boroughs of New York City, New York City borough of Brooklyn. The Liberty compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Confer ...
in the first round, but lost in the semifinals to the
Connecticut Sun The Connecticut Sun are an American professional basketball team based in Uncasville, Connecticut. The Sun compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team i ...
.


Rebuilding and roster and coaching changes (2023–present)

The 2023 season marked a period of significant change for the Sky, with many longtime players departing in free agency, including Vandersloot, Quigley,
Azurá Stevens Azurá Breeona Stevens (born February 1, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Sparks of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Stevens played college basketball at Duke and UConn. She was drafted w ...
, and Parker. Centered on Copper and new roster additions including
Marina Mabrey Marina Mabrey (born September 14, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Connecticut Sun of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Mabrey was drafted in the second round (19th pick overall) by the Los Angeles Spar ...
,
Courtney Williams Courtney Monae Williams (born May 11, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Williams completed her high school basketball career at Charlton County Hig ...
, Elizabeth Williams, and
Alanna Smith Alanna Smith (born 10 September 1996) is an Australian professional basketball player for the Minnesota Lynx of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the Stanford Cardinal. Smith was a member of ...
, the team's record hovered around .500 for much of the season. In July, head coach James Wade announced his resignation to take an assistant coaching position with the
NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada). The NBA is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Ca ...
's
Toronto Raptors The Toronto Raptors are a Canadian professional basketball team based in Toronto. The Raptors compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NBA), Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference (NBA), E ...
. Assistant coach
Emre Vatansever Emre Vatansever is a professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He got his start in the WNBA serving as a coaching intern for the Seattle Storm, befo ...
served as interim head coach for the remainder of the season. The team finished as the eighth-seed with a 18–22 record and lost in the first round of the playoffs to the eventual champion
Las Vegas Aces The Las Vegas Aces are an American professional basketball team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. The Aces compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Western Conference. The team plays its home game ...
. In October 2023, the Sky named
Teresa Weatherspoon Teresa Gaye Weatherspoon (born December 8, 1965) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for Vinyl BC of the Unrivaled basketball league. She was previously the head coach of the Chicago Sky of the Wo ...
as the new head coach and Jeff Pagliocca as the new general manager. In another turbulent offseason, starters Courtney Williams and Smith left the team in free agency, and Copper was traded to the Mercury. Through various trades, the Sky eventually acquired the third and seventh pick in the
2024 WNBA draft The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s draft for the 2024 WNBA season, 2024 season, following the 2023–24 NCAA Division I women's basketball season, was held on April 15, 2024, the WNBA draft, 29th draft in WNBA history. The draf ...
, selecting
Kamilla Cardoso Kamilla Soares Cardoso (born 30 April 2001) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Syracuse and South Carolina. She won two natio ...
and
Angel Reese Angel Reese (born May 6, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and for Rose BC of the Unrivaled (basketball), Unrivaled basketball league. Nicknamed "Bayo ...
. The Sky had a solid start to the 2024 season and went into the Olympic break in eighth place with a 10–14 record. During the break, Mabrey was traded to the Sun. The Sky ultimately finished 10th with a 13–27 record and failed to make the playoffs. After the season, Weatherspoon was fired. In November 2024,
Tyler Marsh Tyler Marsh (born December 9, 1987) is an American professional basketball coach and former player who is the head coach for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Personal life Marsh is the son of Donnie Marsh, ...
was named the new head coach. In the offseason, Vandersloot returned to the team as a free agent, and the Sky traded their third overall pick in the
2025 WNBA draft The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA)'s draft for the 2025 WNBA season, 2025 season was held following the 2024–25 NCAA Division I women's basketball season. It marked the first draft for the newest expansion team for the league, ...
to the Mystics in exchange for
Ariel Atkins Ariel Atkins (born July 30, 1996) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). In addition to her playing career, she served as a player development coach at the Universi ...
.


Name, logo, and uniforms


Uniforms

* 2006–2010: At home, white with light blue on the sides. Collar is light blue. On the road, light blue with gold on the sides. Collar is gold. * 2011–2012: At home, white with light blue stripes on the sides. Collar is light blue. On the road, light blue with gold stripes on the sides. Collar is gold. In addition, both the home and away uniforms feature the team nickname and numbers in gold. * 2013–2014: A new number and name font was introduced, while the basic uniform design was retained. * 2015: Magellan Corporation introduced as new Jersey sponsor. Unlike most teams with jersey sponsors, the Sky opted to emblazon the Magellan logo on the left shoulder in place of the team's alternate logo. * 2016: As part of a league-wide initiative, all games featured all-color uniform matchups. Therefore, the Sky unveiled a gold uniform in addition to their regular light blue road uniform. Magellan was retained as the uniform sponsor. * 2018: Magellan was joined by University of Chicago Medicine as jersey sponsors.


Mascot

Skye the Lioness is the mascot of the Sky. The team introduced Skye the Lioness on August 26, 2024. This replaced the team’s previous mascot, “Sky Guy”. The choice of a lioness was inspired by the famed lion sculptures adorning the main entrance of
building A building or edifice is an enclosed Structure#Load-bearing, structure with a roof, walls and window, windows, usually standing permanently in one place, such as a house or factory. Buildings come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and functions, a ...
of the
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the United States. The museum is based in the Art Institute of Chicago Building in Chicago's Grant Park (Chicago), Grant Park. Its collection, stewa ...
. The mascot character was designed under the direction of Chicago Sky CMO Tania Haladner and designed by the mascot designer Tom Sapp and the team at Real Characters Inc, who have created other mascots for teams including the
Portland Trail Blazers The Portland Trail Blazers (colloquially known as the Blazers) are an American professional basketball team based in Portland, Oregon. The Trail Blazers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (N ...
, the
University of Florida The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public university, public land-grant university, land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preem ...
, and the
Denver Nuggets The Denver Nuggets are an American professional basketball team based in Denver. The Nuggets compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Northwest Division (NBA), Northwest Division of the Western Conference (NBA), W ...
. Its debut game was August 28, 2024, at the Wintrust arena. The team's legacy mascot, Sky Guy, remained through the 2024 season to support Skye the Lioness' debut.


Season-by-season records


Players


Current roster


Retired numbers


Former players

*
Cappie Pondexter Cappie Marie Pondexter (born January 7, 1983) is an American former professional basketball player. She was born in Oceanside, California and raised in Chicago, Illinois. Pondexter is known for her scrappy play, quick crossovers and midrange ju ...
(2015–2017) *
Imani Boyette Imani Trishawn McGee-Stafford (born October 11, 1994) is an American professional basketball player. She played college basketball for University of Texas at Austin. College In 2015, while at Texas, McGee-Stafford was awarded the Honda Inspira ...
(2016–2017) *
Tamera Young Tamera "Ty" Young (born October 30, 1986) is an American former basketball player and assistant coach with the Chicago Sky. After playing collegiately for James Madison Dukes women's basketball, James Madison University, Young was drafted by the ...
(2009–2017) *
Monique Currie Monique Currie (born February 25, 1983) is an American former basketball player in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Born in Washington, D.C., Currie went to high school at the Bullis School in Potomac, Maryland, where she was a ...
(2007) * Stacey Dales (2006–2007) *
Elena Delle Donne Elena Delle Donne (born September 5, 1989) is an American former professional basketball player for 10 seasons as a member of the Washington Mystics and Chicago Sky. Delle Donne played college basketball for the Delaware Blue Hens from 2009 to ...
(2013–2016) *
Érika de Souza Érika Cristina de Souza (born 9 March 1982) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for BC Castors Braine of the EuroLeague.
(2015–2016) * Clarissa dos Santos (2015–2016) *
Candice Dupree Candice Dupree (born August 16, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the women's basketball team at Tennessee State University. She was selected sixth in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Chicago ...
(2006–2009), currently the head coach at Tennessee State *
Sylvia Fowles Sylvia Shaqueria Fowles (born October 6, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player. Fowles played for the Chicago Sky and Minnesota Lynx during her WNBA career. She won the WNBA Most Valuable Player Award, WNBA MVP Award in 2017 ...
(2008–2014) *
Cathrine Kraayeveld Cathrine Helene Kraayeveld (born September 30, 1981) is a former American professional basketball player who played in the WNBA. High school and college Kraayeveld attended Lake Washington High School in Kirkland, Washington and Bellevue Chri ...
(2010–2011) * Stacey Lovelace-Tolbert (2006) *
Nikki McCray Nikki Kesangane McCray-Penson (; December 17, 1971 – July 7, 2023) was an American basketball player and coach. She was the head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs women's basketball team from 2020 to 2021 and a professional basketball pl ...
(2006) *Chasity Melvin (2006–2008) * Bernadette Ngoyisa (2006–2007) *Chelsea Newton (2006) *Jia Perkins (2006–2010) *
Elaine Powell Elaine Powell (born August 9, 1975) is an American assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx and former professional basketball player. A point guard born in Monroe, Louisiana, she played in the WNBA from 1999 to 2008. College career In two years ...
(2006), currently an assistant coach for the Minnesota Lynx *Ashley Robinson (2006) *
Brooke Wyckoff Brooke Wyckoff (born March 30, 1980) is an American former professional basketball player and current head coach of the Florida State Seminoles women's basketball team. A 6'1" forward from Florida State, Wyckoff played in the WNBA from 2001 ...
(2006–2009), currently the head coach at Florida State Seminoles women's basketball, Florida State *
Stefanie Dolson Stefanie Dolson (born January 8, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted sixth overall in the 2014 WNBA draft. Dolson played center f ...
(2017–2021), now a member of the
Washington Mystics The Washington Mystics are an American professional basketball team based in Washington, D.C. The Mystics compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member of the Eastern Conference (WNBA), Eastern Conference. The team was ...
*
Gabby Williams Gabrielle Lisa Williams (born September 9, 1996) is an American-French professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League and EuroLeague Wom ...
(2018–2021) *
Allie Quigley Alexandria "Allie" Quigley (born June 20, 1986) is an American professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Quigley played for DePaul University in Chicago. After grad ...
(2013–2022) *
Kahleah Copper Kahleah Copper ( ; born August 28, 1994) is an American professional basketball player for the Phoenix Mercury of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She was drafted with the seventh overall pick by the Washington Mystics in 2016 ...
(2017–2023), now a member of the Phoenix Mercury *
Candace Parker Candace Nicole Parker (born April 19, 1986), nicknamed "Ace", is an American former professional basketball player. Widely regarded as one of the greatest WNBA players of all time, she was selected as the first overall pick in the 2008 WNBA dr ...
(2021–2022)


Coaches and staff


Owners

* Michael J. Alter and Nadia Rawlinson (2023–present)


Head coaches


General managers

*
Dave Cowens David William Cowens ( ; born October 25, 1948) is an American former professional basketball player and NBA head coach. At , he played the center position and occasionally played power forward. Cowens spent most of his playing career with the B ...
(2006) * Bo Overton (2007) *
Steven Key Steven Key (born May 14, 1968) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional player. Career Key attended Atholton High School in Columbia, Maryland, and was named the 1986 Howard County Player of the Year. He was a four- ...
(2008–2010) *
Pokey Chatman Dana "Pokey" Chatman (born June 18, 1969) is currently an assistant coach for the Seattle Storm in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). Chatman is the former head coach of the Indiana Fever and Chicago Sky of the WNBA. She is als ...
(2011–2016) * Amber Stocks (2017–2018) *
James Wade James Martin Wade (born 6 April 1983) is an English professional darts player who competes in Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) events, where he is currently ranked world number nine; he reached a peak ranking of world number two in 2010. ...
(2019–2023) *
Emre Vatansever Emre Vatansever is a professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He got his start in the WNBA serving as a coaching intern for the Seattle Storm, befo ...
(2023) * Jeff Pagliocca (2024–present)


Assistant coaches

*
Steven Key Steven Key (born May 14, 1968) is an American professional basketball coach and former professional player. Career Key attended Atholton High School in Columbia, Maryland, and was named the 1986 Howard County Player of the Year. He was a four- ...
(2006–2007) *Roger Reding (2007) *Stephanie White (2007–2010) *Mike Mitchell (basketball, born 1967), Michael Mitchell (2008–2010) *Jeff House (2011–2012) *Christie Sides (2011–2016) *Tree Rollins (2013–2015) *Jonah Herscu (2016) *Carlene Mitchell (2017) *Awvee Storey (2017) *Carla Morrow (basketball), Carla Morrow (2018–2019) *Bridget Pettis (2019) *Olaf Lange (basketball), Olaf Lange (2020–2021) *
Emre Vatansever Emre Vatansever is a professional basketball coach who is an assistant coach for the Washington Mystics of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). He got his start in the WNBA serving as a coaching intern for the Seattle Storm, befo ...
(2020–2023) *Tonya Edwards (2021–2023) *Ann Wauters (2022–2023) *Yoann Cabioc'h (2023) *Crystal Robinson (2024) *Sydney Johnson (2024) *
Tamera Young Tamera "Ty" Young (born October 30, 1986) is an American former basketball player and assistant coach with the Chicago Sky. After playing collegiately for James Madison Dukes women's basketball, James Madison University, Young was drafted by the ...
(2024) *Courtney Paris (2025–present) *Tanisha Wright (2025–present) *Rena Wakama (2025–present)


Statistics

, - , 2006 Chicago Sky season, 2006 , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (13.7) , Bernadette Ngoyisa, B. Ngoyisa (5.7) , Jia Perkins, J. Perkins (3.2) , 68.3 vs 79.0 , 30.5 vs 36.4 , .394 vs .452 , - , 2007 Chicago Sky season, 2007 , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (16.7) , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (7.7) , Dominique Canty, D. Canty (4.1) , 74.3 vs 76.8 , 34.3 vs 36.0 , .406 vs .429 , - , 2008 Chicago Sky season, 2008 , Jia Perkins, J. Perkins (17.0) , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (7.9) , Dominique Canty, D. Canty (4.1) , 72.7 vs 73.8 , 33.1 vs 34.1 , .428 vs .416 , - , 2009 Chicago Sky season, 2009 , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (16.7) , Candice Dupree, C. Dupree (7.9) , Dominique Canty, D. Canty (3.2) , 75.7 vs 79.2 , 31.9 vs 34.0 , .435 vs .442 , - , - , 2010 Chicago Sky season, 2010 , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (17.8) , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (9.9) , Dominique Canty, D. Canty (3.4) , 76.1 vs 76.8 , 31.7 vs 33.4 , .437 vs .444 , - , 2011 Chicago Sky season, 2011 , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (20.0) , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (10.2) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (3.7) , 74.2 vs 75.2 , 33.8 vs 32.6 , .438 vs .418 , - , 2012 Chicago Sky season, 2012 , Epiphanny Prince, E. Prince (18.1) , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (10.4) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (4.6) , 75.2 vs 75.5 , 34.9 vs 30.1 , .431 vs .429 , - , 2013 Chicago Sky season, 2013 , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (18.1) , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (11.5) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (5.6) , 79.4 vs 73.6 , 37.1 vs 33.2 , .420 vs .404 , - , 2014 Chicago Sky season, 2014 , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (17.9) , Sylvia Fowles, S. Fowles (10.2) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (5.6) , 76.2 vs 78.2 , 34.1 vs 35.6 , .434 vs .420 , - , 2015 Chicago Sky season, 2015 , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (23.4) , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (8.4) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (5.8) , 82.9 vs 78.8 , 36.6 vs 33.6 , .446 vs .425 , - , 2016 Chicago Sky season, 2016 , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (21.5) , Elena Delle Donne, E. Delle Donne (7.0) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (4.7) , 86.2 vs 85.6 , 35.6 vs 32.9 , .462 vs .436 , - , 2017 Chicago Sky season, 2017 , Allie Quigley, A. Quigley (16.4) , Jessica Breland, J. Breland (6.3) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (8.1) , 82.1 vs 87.2 , 33.8 vs 36.5 , .461 vs .435 , - , 2018 Chicago Sky season, 2018 , Allie Quigley, A. Quigley (15.4) , Cheyenne Parker (basketball), Ch. Parker (5.8) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (8.6) , 83.8 vs 90.1 , 33.1 vs 36.5 , .453 vs .462 , - , 2019 Chicago Sky season, 2019 , Diamond DeShields, D. DeShields (16.2) , Jantel Lavender, J. Lavender (6.9) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (9.1) , 84.6 vs 83.3 , 36.4 vs 35.4 , .448 vs .418 , - , - , 2020 Chicago Sky season, 2020 , Allie Quigley, A. Quigley (15.4) , Cheyenne Parker (basketball), Ch. Parker (6.4) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (10.0) , 86.7 vs 84.1 , 33.6 vs 32.2 , .491 vs .453 , - , 2021 Chicago Sky season, 2021 , Kahleah Copper, K. Copper (14.4) , Candace Parker, Ca. Parker (8.4) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (8.6) , 83.3 vs 81.9 , 35.0 vs 35.9 , .441 vs .433 , - , 2022 Chicago Sky season, 2022 , Kahleah Copper, K. Copper (15.7) , Candace Parker, Ca. Parker (8.6) , Courtney Vandersloot, C. Vandersloot (6.5) , 86.3 vs 81.3 , 34.8 vs 33.2 , .481 vs .438 , - , 2023 Chicago Sky season, 2023 , Kahleah Copper, K. Copper (18.7) , Alanna Smith, A. Smith (6.6) , Courtney Williams (basketball), C. Williams (6.3) , 81.7 vs 83.4 , 33.6 vs 34.9 , .442 vs .451 , - , 2024 Chicago Sky season, 2024 , Chennedy Carter, C. Carter (17.5) , Angel Reese, A. Reese (13.1) , Marina Mabrey, M. Mabrey (4.5) , 77.4 vs 82.5 , 36.6 vs 33.8 , .422 vs .446


Media coverage

Chicago Sky games are broadcast locally in an exclusive agreement with WCIU-TV, The U. Local broadcasters for the Sky games are Lisa Byington and Stephen Bardo. Select games are broadcast nationally on American Broadcasting Company, ABC, ESPN, CBS, CBS Sports Network, Ion Television, Ion or NBA TV. The Sky was on radio for two seasons on WVON-AM 1690 with Les Grobstein on play-by-play and Tajua Catchings (whose sister Tamika Catchings is a star with the Indiana Fever) handling color. After 2008, WVON did not carry games any longer over a financial disagreement, and the Sky has not been on radio since. The radio broadcast of their home games were online during the 2008 season, but never since.


All-time notes


Regular season attendance

*A sellout for a basketball game at
UIC Pavilion Credit Union 1 Arena (previously known as UIC Pavilion) is a multi-purpose arena located at 525 S. Racine Avenue on the Near West Side in Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1982. Description and history Credit Union 1 Arena is located on the campu ...
(2006–2009) is 6,972. *A sellout for a basketball game at
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
(2010–2017) is 17,500. *A sellout for a basketball game at
Wintrust Arena Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side Community areas of Chicago, community area of Chicago t ...
(2018–present) is 10,387.


Draft picks

*2006 Expansion Draft: Jia Perkins, Brooke Wyckoff, Elaine Powell, Kiesha Brown, Deanna Jackson, Laura Macchi, Stacey Lovelace, DeTrina White, Ashley Robinson, Chelsea Newton, Bernadette Ngoyisa, Francesca Zara, Stacey Dales *2006:
Candice Dupree Candice Dupree (born August 16, 1984) is an American basketball coach and former player who is currently the head coach for the women's basketball team at Tennessee State University. She was selected sixth in the 2006 WNBA draft by the Chicago ...
(6), Jennifer Harris (20), Kerri Gardin (34) *2007 Charlotte Sting, Charlotte Dispersal Draft: Monique Currie (1) *2007: Armintie Price (3), Carla Thomas (10), Stephanie Raymond (20), Jessica Dickson (21), Jenna Rubino (27) *2008: Sylvia Fowles (2), Quianna Chaney (19), Angela Tisdale (33) *2009 Houston Comets, Houston Dispersal Draft: Mistie Williams Bass (3) *2009: Kristi Toliver (3), Danielle Gant (16), Jennifer Risper (29) *2010 Sacramento Monarchs, Sacramento Dispersal Draft: Courtney Paris (4) *2010: Epiphanny Prince (4), Abi Olajuwon (28) *2011: Courtney Vandersloot (3), Carolyn Swords (15), Angie Bjorklund (17), Amy Jaeschke (27) *2012: Shey Peddy (23), Sydney Carter (27) *2013: Elena Delle Donne (2), Brooklyn Pope (28) *2014: Markeisha Gatling (10), Gennifer Brandon (22), Jamierra Faulkner (34) *2015: Cheyenne Parker (5), Betnijah Laney (17), Aleighsa Welch (22) *2016: Imani Boyette (10), Jordan Jones (34) *2017: Alaina Coates (2), Tori Jankoska (9), Chantel Osahor (21), Makayla Epps (33) *2018: Diamond DeShields (3),
Gabby Williams Gabrielle Lisa Williams (born September 9, 1996) is an American-French professional basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) and for Fenerbahçe of the Turkish Super League and EuroLeague Wom ...
(4), Amarah Coleman (28) *2019:
Katie Lou Samuelson Katie Lou Samuelson (born June 13, 1997) is an American professional basketball player basketball player for the Seattle Storm of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball for the UConn Huskies. Samuelson i ...
(4), Chloe Jackson (15), María Conde (27) *2020: Ruthy Hebard (8), Japreece Dean (30), Kiah Gillespie (32) *2021: Shyla Heal (8), Natasha Mack (16) *2022: No Draft Picks *2023: Kayana Traylor (23), Kseniya Malashka (35) *2024:
Kamilla Cardoso Kamilla Soares Cardoso (born 30 April 2001) is a Brazilian professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). She played college basketball at Syracuse and South Carolina. She won two natio ...
(3),
Angel Reese Angel Reese (born May 6, 2002) is an American professional basketball player for the Chicago Sky of the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA), and for Rose BC of the Unrivaled (basketball), Unrivaled basketball league. Nicknamed "Bayo ...
(7), Brynna Maxwell (13) *2025: Ajša Sivka (10), Hailey Van Lith (11), Maddy Westbeld (16), Aicha Coulibaly (22)


Trades

*June 29, 2006: The Sky traded Ashley Robinson to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Cisti Greenwalt and a second-round pick in the 2007 Draft. *March 23, 2007: The Sky traded Chelsea Newton and the 21st pick in the 2007 Draft to the Sacramento Monarchs for the 10th pick in the 2007 Draft. *May 24, 2007: The Sky traded Monique Currie to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Chasity Melvin. *August 12, 2009: The Sky traded Armintie Price to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Tamera Young. *March 30, 2010: The Sky traded Candice Dupree to the Phoenix Mercury and a second-round pick in the 2010 Draft to the New York Liberty in exchange for Shameka Christon and Cathrine Kraayeveld from New York. New York also received Cappie Pondexter and Kelly Mazzante from Phoenix. *May 13, 2010: The Sky traded Kristi Toliver to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2011 Draft. *April 20, 2011: The Sky traded Jia Perkins to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Michelle Snow. *June 1, 2011: The Sky traded a second-round pick in the 2012 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Lindsay Wisdom-Hylton. *January 2, 2012: The Sky traded the second pick in the 2012 Draft to the Seattle Storm in exchange for Swin Cash, Le'coe Willingham, and the 23rd pick in the 2012 Draft. *March 14, 2012: The Sky traded a third-round pick in the 2013 Draft to the San Antonio Silver Stars in exchange for Sonja Petrovic. *May 7, 2014: The Sky traded Swin Cash to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for Courtney Clements. *February 16, 2015: The Sky traded Epiphanny Prince to the New York Liberty in exchange for Cappie Pondexter. *July 27, 2015: The Sky traded Sylvia Fowles and a second-round pick in the 2016 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for Erika de Souza from Atlanta. Atlanta also received Damaris Dantas, Reshanda Gray, and a first-round pick in the 2016 Draft from Minnesota. *February 2, 2017: The Sky traded Elena Delle Donne to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Kahleah Copper, Stefanie Dolson, and the #2 overall pick in the 2017 Draft. *February 27, 2017: The Sky traded Clarissa Dos Santos to the San Antonio Stars in exchange for Astou Ndour. *May 20, 2019: The Sky traded their second round pick in the 2020 Draft to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Jantel Lavender. *May 21, 2019: The Sky traded Alaina Coates to Minnesota in exchange for Minnesota's third round pick in the 2020 Draft. *February 12, 2020: The Sky traded Astou Ndour to Dallas in exchange for Dallas' first round pick in the 2021 Draft. *February 12, 2020: The Sky traded Kaite Lou Samuelson and a first round pick in the 2021 Draft in exchange for Azurá Stevens. *February 9, 2021: The Sky traded their second round pick in the 2022 Draft for the 16th pick in the 2021 Draft (from Dallas). *May 9, 2021: The Sky traded Gabby Williams to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Stephanie Watts and the rights to Leonie Fiebich. *June 2, 2021: The Sky traded, Shyla Heal, their third round pick in the 2022 Draft, and the option to swap pick positions in the first round of the 2022 Draft to the Dallas Wings in exchange for Dana Evans. *February 3, 2022: The Sky traded Diamond DeShields to Phoenix in exchange for Julie Allemand and the Phoenix Mercury's 2023 first round pick. *March 20, 2022: The Sky traded Lexie Brown to Los Angeles in exchange for Li Yueru. *February 11, 2023: The Sky traded the rights to Leonie Fiebich, their 1st round pick in the 2023 Draft, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd round picks in the 2024 Draft, and 2nd round pick in the 2025 Draft to acquire Marina Mabrey in a four team trade. *February 6, 2024: The Sky traded Kahleah Copper, the rights to Morgan Bertsch, to acquire Brianna Turner, Michaela Onyenwere, the third pick in the 2024 Draft, their own 2025 second round draft pick, Phoenix's 2026 first round draft pick, and the right to swap 2026 second round picks with Phoenix. *February 19, 2024: The Sky traded Julie Allemand and the rights to Li Yueru in exchange for the 8th pick in the 2024 Draft. *March 14, 2024: The Sky traded Rebekah Gardner in exchange for New York's 2025 and 2026 second round draft picks. *April 14, 2024: The Sky traded Skia Koné, the 8th pick in the 2024 Draft, their 2025 second round draft pick, and the right to swap first round picks in the 2026 Draft to the Minnesota Lynx in exchange for the 7th pick in the 2024 Draft and the rights to Nikolina Milić. *July 17, 2024: The Sky traded Marina Mabrey and their second round pick in the 2025 Draft in exchange for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, Connecticut's 2025 first round draft pick, and the right to swap 2026 first round draft picks with the Sun.


All-Stars

*2006: Candice Dupree *2007: Candice Dupree *2008: No All-Star Game *2009: Candice Dupree, Sylvia Fowles, Jia Perkins *2010: Sylvia Fowles *2011: Sylvia Fowles, Epiphanny Prince, Courtney Vandersloot *2012: No All-Star Game *2013: Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles, Epiphany Prince *2014: Jessica Breland, Elena Delle Donne *2015: Elena Delle Donne, Cappie Pondexter · *2016: No All-Star Game *2017: Stefanie Dolson, Allie Quigley *2018: Allie Quigley *2019: Diamond DeShields, Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot *2020: No All-Star Game *2021: Kahleah Copper, Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot *2022: Kahleah Copper, Emma Meesseman, Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot *2023: Kahleah Copper *2024: Angel Reese


Olympians

*2008: Sylvia Fowles *2012: Swin Cash, Sylvia Fowles *2016: Elena Delle Donne, Erika de Souza (Brazil women's national basketball team, BRA), Clarissa Dos Santos (Brazil women's national basketball team, BRA) *2020: Astou Ndour (Spain women's national basketball team, ESP), Stefanie Dolson


Honors and awards

*2006 ''All-Rookie Team'': Candice Dupree *2007 ''All-Rookie Team'': Armintie Price *2008 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2008 ''All-Rookie Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2010 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2010 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2010 ''All-Rookie Team'': Epiphanny Prince *2010 ''Stars at the Sun Game MVP'': Sylvia Fowles *2011 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2011 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Sylvia Fowles *2011 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2011 ''All-Rookie Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2012 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2012 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2013 ''Rookie of the Year'': Elena Delle Donne *2013 ''Defensive Player of the Year'': Sylvia Fowles *2013 ''All-Rookie Team'': Elena Delle Donne *2013 ''All-Defensive First Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2013 ''Peak Performer (Rebounding)'': Sylvia Fowles *2014 ''WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year'': Allie Quigley *2014 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Sylvia Fowles *2015 ''WNBA MVP'': Elena Delle Donne *2015 ''WNBA Sixth Woman of the Year'': Allie Quigley *2015 ''Peak Performer (Scoring)'': Elena Delle Donne *2015 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Courtney Vandersloot *2015 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Elena Delle Donne *2015 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2016 ''All-Rookie Team'': Imani Boyette *2017 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Courtney Vandersloot *2018 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2018 ''All-Rookie Team'': Diamond DeShields *2018 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Courtney Vandersloot *2019 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Courtney Vandersloot *2019 ''Coach of the Year'': James Wade *2019 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2019 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Diamond DeShields *2020 ''Peak Performer (Assists)'': Courtney Vandersloot *2020 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2021 ''All-WNBA Second Team'': Courtney Vandersloot *2021 ''Finals MVP'': Kahleah Copper *2022 ''Basketball Executive of the Year'': James Wade *2022 ''All-WNBA First Team'': Candace Parker *2022 ''All-Rookie Team'': Rebekah Gardner *2023 ''All-Defensive Second Team'': Elizabeth Williams *2024 ''Peak Performer (Rebounds)'': Angel Reese *2024 ''All-Rookie Team'': Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese


Arenas

*
UIC Pavilion Credit Union 1 Arena (previously known as UIC Pavilion) is a multi-purpose arena located at 525 S. Racine Avenue on the Near West Side in Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1982. Description and history Credit Union 1 Arena is located on the campu ...
(2006–2009) *
Allstate Arena Allstate Arena is a multi-purpose arena in Rosemont, Illinois, United States, northwest of Chicago, located at the corner of Mannheim Road and Lunt Avenue, just north of Mannheim Road's interchange with the Jane Addams Memorial Tollway ( I-90) ...
(2010–2017) *
Wintrust Arena Wintrust Arena at McCormick Square, previously referred to as DePaul Arena or McCormick Place Events Center, is a 10,387-seat sports venue in the Near South Side, Chicago, Near South Side Community areas of Chicago, community area of Chicago t ...
(2018–present)


Notes


References


Sources

* * * *
February 28, 2006 Chicago Sky press release announcing Michelle Williams on its ownership group


External links


WNBA Official Website

Chicago Sky Schedule
{{Illinois Sports Chicago Sky, 2005 establishments in Illinois Basketball teams established in 2005 Basketball teams in Chicago, Sky Basketball teams in Illinois Organized events in Chicago Events in Rosemont, Illinois Women's National Basketball Association teams