The Chicago Sky entered 2024 feeling a little like a kid who just discovered they could dunk on a seven-foot rim. The energy was electric, the hopes were sky-high, and rookie stars Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso looked ready to turn the franchise into the league’s next powerhouse. Reese, especially, didn’t just rise to the occasion—she grabbed it with two hands, boxed it out, and posted a double-double on it.
Still, Reese might be the Bayou Barbie, but basketball isn’t a Disney movie. You just cannot rely on one person to save the day, and no amount of Reese’s heroics could paper over the gaps in Chicago’s roster. Despite the sparkle of their young stars, the Sky missed the playoffs and were forced into a pretty tough offseason reality check. The glaring misstep? The team did not embrace their rebuilding status as much as they should have the last two seasons. Last year, they looked like a postseason team, but then Reese got injured, halting all their momentum. This time around, the Management knew they had to get serious about plugging holes — and not the fun “we’re building a pool!” kind of holes — but the “we’re leaking!” kind.
Job number one? Bring in vets who could act as mentors and stabilizers for their budding superstars. They did this as well as they could have. Courtney Vandersloot returned to Chicago after her stint with the Liberty, and Ariel Atkins was traded from Washington. But still, they needed more power in the backcourt to support these two, and hence, Hailey Van Lith came into the equation. Apparently, the team was so happy with this pick that they even redesigned the coaching staff just five days ago to help HVL’s development.
Sure, the moves made headlines. However, they didn’t silence every alarm bell. Some issues remained stubbornly unresolved, like that weird rattle in your car you swear you’ll get checked “next weekend.” Chief among them? Depth in the frontcourt. And so enters Tony East, national reporter and guest on the “Locked On Women’s Basketball” podcast, who decided not to sugarcoat it.
Speaking about Chicago’s roster construction, East said: “The top 10 feels pretty set to me with normal positional balance. Van Lith is obviously talented enough; they picked her in the first round. Their depth chart kinda says they might need another big on the team. They have Reese, they have Cardoza, they have Williams, but a lot of their other frontcourt players are suited to play the wing or play the forward, to me”.
Jun 23, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon talks to her team during the second half of a basketball game against the Indiana Fever at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
He is not wrong. Chicago’s got size, but not where it counts. And when you are trying to leave the ghosts of a bad season behind, missing muscle in the paint is not something you should forget. East wasn’t finished. He further highlighted the urgency, saying, “I think their camp will come down to who is actually involved and what positions do they feel like they need to because their depth chart kinda suggest they might need a little more frontcourt depth.”
If you look at Sky’s depth chart, you will find they have 11 guards, 8 forwards (many of them being small forwards), and 4 centers. And we can call it 7 forwards, because Rebecca Allen is marked GTD, which means she will not have more than a 50% chance of actually getting to play. Which, we know, is a little baffling. If we are to go by traditions, only power forward and the centers actually make up the ‘frontcourt”. And considering how many responsibilities pile upon power forwards, they just cannot make everything count. Which leaves us with centers for the frontcourt, and as East said, the Sky needs more of that as of now.
However, Tony East was joined by the Next’s New York Liberty beat reporter, Jackie Powell, who made a good point about Sky’s new HC, Tyler Marsh. “I mean, Tyler Marsh comes from a more modern style of playing,” Powell said. Yes, the game is definitely evolving, with all the positions blending into each other. They are no longer slotted into 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 positions. If they are good, they make it into the roster, and the coach adapts things around them. However, we hope that Marsh’s adaptability won’t be limited to one or two players.
If the front office poses any problems, that remains to be seen. All will be clearer once the camp pans out. The plans of the coach, along with the condition of the players, will certainly play a role.
The Chicago Sky announces Training Camp Roster
Looking forward to the 2025 season, the Sky are all set to begin their preseason training camp to set up for the main event. They are also set to play the Minnesota Lynx in a couple of preseason games on May 7 and May 11. The new coach, Tyler Marsh, who is fully bought into the modern style of basketball, will have to imbibe his ideas into this squad. The Sky announced their roster for their training camp, which is supposed to start soon.
it’s bout dat time pic.twitter.com/YmGlNyGgeT
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) April 26, 2025
The notable missing player from this list is Aicha Coulibaly, who was the 22nd overall pick in the second round of the WNBA Draft. “Aicha Coulibaly is a strong perimeter defender and elite slasher, making her a good fit for us,” Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca had said after getting her. There is a reason she is not included: she suffered a knee injury in January this year, causing her to miss the rest of the season. Apparently, she is still recovering from her injury. She is likely not to play a part this season and will debut in a Sky shirt next year.
The Sky’s success in the coming season will depend on whether this roster can develop quick chemistry — think instant ramen, not slow-cooked stew — and whether the frontcourt gets the reinforcements it desperately needs. Reese can’t do it alone, even if her rebounding numbers suggest she might try. If training camp produces one or two pleasant surprises, Chicago could turn some heads. If not, even the brightest young stars might struggle to lift a roster that still has visible cracks.
The post Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith Not Enough as National Reporter Drops Harsh Reminder for Chicago Sky appeared first on EssentiallySports.
