The deadline for qualifying offers came and went on Monday without Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca extending one to guard Chennedy Carter.
Carter, the Sky’s leading scorer in 2024 with 17.5 points per game, will now become an unrestricted free agent, which means beginning on Jan. 21, she is free to field offers from any team in the WNBA. On Feb. 1, players can start signing contracts.
A qualifying offer comes with little risk. It essentially masquerades as a training camp contract with one-year, non-guaranteed terms. Why, then, were the Sky unwilling to make that offer to their leading scorer?
“Chennedy had an incredible season for us last year,” Pagliocca said in a statement provided to the Sun-Times. “She’s extremely talented and is a player that can impact the game at the highest level in our league. We absolutely appreciate all she did for our team last year. However, we’ve made changes to our staff and will make changes to our roster. Those changes impact Chennedy’s fit on the team, so we wanted to give her the best opportunity as a free agent.”
The Dream drafted Carter in 2020 with the fourth overall pick. In her second season, Carter was suspended by the Dream and subsequently traded to the Sparks in 2022. Carter played 22 games for the Sparks in 2022 and was waived in 2023. After missing the 2023 WNBA season, Carter signed a training camp contract with the Sky last February. In 84 career games, Carter has averaged 14.6 points, 2.8 assists and 2.5 rebounds.
According to multiple league sources, players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the locker room last year due to Carter’s behavior, which went unchecked by former coach Teresa Weatherspoon. There was concern within the team regarding how re-signing Carter would impact the Sky’s chances of landing other free agents.
Pagliocca has, in past press conferences, made clear that while roster decisions will ultimately be his to make, he plans to collaborate with new coach Tyler Marsh and Sky ownership. This indicates that it was likely a joint decision not to offer Carter.
Last week, offers went out to guard Dana Evans and forward Michaela Onyenwere, making them restricted free agents. An offer also went out to reserved free agent Nikolina Milić. As a reserved free agent, the offer is the same as that of a restricted, but Milić can only negotiate with the Sky. Beginning tomorrow, Evans and Onyenwere can negotiate with other teams, but the Sky will have the right of first refusal.
Filling out the Sky’s backcourt with an experienced point guard and a two-way player on the wing is Pagliocca’s top priority. Landing the right players could prove challenging for the second-year GM via free agency. What was clear in Miami during the opening weekend of Unrivaled was players’ desire to sign with teams that can offer the kind of amenities being extended by the start-up league.
The Sky are still a year removed from the opening of their practice facility being built in partnership with the Village of Bedford Park.
Pagliocca’s strongest path forward could be packaging draft assets and landing the right players via a trade.