When the Sky make their pick in the WNBA Draft on Monday, it won’t be nearly as thrilling as a year ago when they landed franchise pillars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, but it’s another significant step in their rebuild.
They hold the No. 10 pick, which likely puts them in range of players like South Carolina’s Sania Feagin, North Carolina State’s Aziaha James and Kentucky’s Georgia Amoore. The Sky originally were slotted to pick third, but traded that pick to the Mystics in February for two-time all-star guard Ariel Atkins.
The Sky have gradually worked to regather themselves in the years since their 2021 championship. They plunged to 13-27 last season, their worst record since their inaugural season, but adding Cardoso with the third pick and Reese with the seventh gave them a solid base from which to build.
Reese was an All-Star and the only player other than Caitlin Clark to get a vote for Rookie of the Year, and Cardoso joined her as an all-rookie team selection.
Nonetheless, it’s a steep climb after firing coach Teresa Weatherspoon and opting not to re-sign leading scorer Chennedy Carter.
The Sky have enough potential for the league to bet on their momentum this season by leading off its ‘Rivals Week’ schedule in August with their game against Clark and the Fever.
The top of this draft will be intriguing to the Sky because of its indirect impact. The Wings are picking first and a virtual lock to choose three-time All-American point guard Paige Bueckers from UConn. Like the sky, the Wings are still trying to establish a steady team, and rebuilding is competitive.
It also will be the first draft for the expansion Golden State Valkyries, who have the fifth pick.
While Atkins is turning 29 this season, she’s likely to make a more significant impact right away than anyone the Sky would’ve drafted if they’d stayed at No. 3. Not only was she a first- or second-team all-defense selection five times in her first seven seasons, but last season she averaged 14.9 points per game and shot 35.7% on three-pointers.