2024 Chicago Sky Player Report Card: Lindsay Allen
A depth signing last offseason turned out to be one of the Sky's most important players--perfectly complimenting the big names in the starting five.
When Lindsay Allen signed for the Sky on the first day of 2024 free agency on February 1st, the context she arrived into was very different. Franchise player Kahleah Copper had only just signed a new contract, Nneka Ogwumike was still a realistic free agency target, and the narrative around the team was that the objective for the coming season (realistic or not) was to push the chips in and contend for a title. Four days later, Ogwumike signed with Seattle—leading to Copper being dealt to Phoenix the following morning. Instead of filling a key role as a veteran reserve on a team with championship aspirations, Allen was thrust into a leadership role on a team stuck between their desired “retool” and a full on “rebuild.” While not the situation she envisioned, Allen made the most of it and wound up one of the Sky’s most important players by season’s end. Let’s dive into the aspects that made her 2024 an unqualified success, and highlight how she can add even more value when she returns for the final season of the two-year deal she signed back in February next summer.
1. Pick & Roll Versatility
After being one of the league’s most pick-and-roll heavy teams last season under interim coach Emre Vatansever, Chicago, in my opinion, didn’t return to those actions nearly enough in 2024 under Teresa Weatherspoon—especially given the optionality Allen offered in those sets after being inserted into the starting line-up in June. Some of that may be oversight by the coaching staff, caution with respect to using a pair of rookie bigs so heavily in the pick-and-roll or something else entirely. However, the Sky managed strong efficiency in the pick-and-roll sets they did run with Allen (particularly with Kamilla Cardoso as the screener), and whoever arrives as the franchise’s new head coach should look to double down on using that tandem with both already under contract for 2025.
The value that Allen offers on those sets is multi-dimensional, and that’s what made them so effective this season. Allen was the team’s stand-out playmaker throughout the 2024 season (which obviously lends itself to success), and her ability to score at multiple levels also contributed to keeping defenses honest. Because of her confidence shooting from the free-throw line extended, falling into drop coverage wasn’t a perfect defensive strategy, but her shiftiness (and underrated speed) attacking the rim meant opposing coaches couldn’t settle for leaving their big on an island either. Of course, with Cardoso rolling, switches were already bound to create huge mismatches—meaning the best-case strategy for the defense was usually trying to keep a big on Cardoso throughout the play. Aiming to do so, inevitably, leads to slight delays in coverage of the ball handler and moments where a defense is susceptible to miscommunication and disorganization. For the Sky offense, those potential shortcomings could only help contribute to improved efficiency at the offensive end. Meanwhile, a highly-intelligent point guard at the controls only furthers the chances for success, and Allen definitely offered that steady hand at the controls for Weatherspoon.
2. Pace
I mention Allen’s “steady” play as a key to her success in the pick-and-roll, but her ability to help regulate the team’s pace was crucial to everything she offered Chicago throughout the course of the 2024 season. At their core, this year’s Sky team wanted to (and, really, needed to in order to be successful) play fast. Yet, a forty-minute track meet is not conducive to winning basketball games, and—in their attempt to play at a lightning pace—the Sky’s young core sometimes lost sight of managing the game over the course of four quarters. Enter Allen—a point guard who fills the traditional “game manager” role of the position to a tee. At moments in the game where Chicago would commit a string of turnovers in quick succession or lose all sense of offensive structure, Allen was the primary figure capable of stabilizing, getting the Sky into some kind of action and trying to work towards a good shot on the next trip.
Of course, the limitations of the Sky’s offensive playbook sometimes meant that those sets lacked effectiveness (that’s another issue entirely), but being able to bring the chaos to a halt for a full shot clock in order to allow everyone to catch their breath and act with a level head is a skill that, in many ways, was unique to Allen on the Sky’s 2024 roster. That’s no criticism of the Sky’s young players (you simply can’t substitute for experience), but it speaks further to the value that Allen offered for the team this season—especially after she was inserted into the starting line-up and given more consistent playing time.
2025 Goal: Stay Aggressive
Allen will return to Chicago on an extremely team-friendly deal in 2025 ($90k), and it’s hard to see her not making the team’s opening day roster. However, the Sky are likely to bring Chennedy Carter back to start at one guard spot and pick another backcourt player to join her in the starting five with their lottery choice in April’s draft. In other words, a starting spot for Allen is far from guaranteed—especially if the Sky’s new coach wants to get their first pick with the franchise on the court with Cardoso and Angel Reese as soon as possible. Returning to a bench role wouldn’t hurt Allen’s value as a locker room leader (this influence should not be understated), but fewer minutes inevitably means a diminished impact on the on-court product—specifically as it relates to offering that calm presence in control of the offense. The Sky’s first round pick, likely a young guard like Olivia Miles, could offer that same type of presence, but it’s a big ask for a young player at a demanding position. Long story short, expect Allen’s influence next season to be just as far-reaching as it was in 2024—even if she’s not a starter.
When she is on the court, the new coaching staff only needs to ask Allen to stay aggressive as the rest of her offensive and defensive game is extremely well balanced. If you follow me on Twitter, you’ve likely read a dozen or more posts this season where I pointed to the fact that the Sky were a better team when Allen was in attack mode, and it remained a consistent takeaway from her first start to the Sky’s final game in Connecticut. Everyone on the Sky’s 2024 roster (save for Marina Mabrey and Rachel Banham) had a natural inclination towards scoring in the paint, but Allen—thanks to her skills as a playmaker—was a more dynamic slashing threat than some others. When she did attack downhill (PnR or otherwise) the results were usually positive simply because defenses were wary to the threat she offers as a passer. The result of that wariness was a lot of easy lay-ins at the basket. Because she’s not a high volume or efficiency long-range shooter, being able to score in any fashion adds to Allen’s overall profile as an offensive threat and, in truth, strengthens her case for staying on the court even as the Sky’s likely lottery pick pushes her for playing time next season.