2024 WNBA Draft Preview
Who the Sky could take, how they'll fit with the current roster + could Chicago make draft day trades?
With just days to go until the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Sky’s new front office—led by Jeff Pagliocca and Teresa Weatherspoon—are approaching the key part of their offseason work. After a quiet free agency period ended with the franchise fulfilling Kahleah Copper’s request to be traded, the draft picks Chicago acquired in that deal (and the subsequent Li Yueru trade) became the focal points of the team’s new era under Weatherspoon. Thus, getting those picks right, inevitably, has a big bearing on the franchise’s success in 2024 and beyond. Let’s dive into the variables Chicago will consider ahead of draft night—starting with a look at the current roster.
State of the Roster
First things first, it’s important to understand how the Sky’s three picks could fit with the current roster. As a reminder, here are the players under contract—with unprotected contracts in italics:
Guards/Wings: Marina Mabrey, Dana Evans, Diamond DeShields, Lindsay Allen, Michaela Onyenwere, Chennedy Carter, Kysre Gondrezick
Bigs: Isabelle Harrison, Brianna Turner, Elizabeth Williams, Sika Koné, Taya Reimer
A lot can change in camp, but it’s highly likely that 9 of the 12 players listed above will be on the opening day roster. The 6 protected contracts will all make the team, DeShields and Allen—while technically unprotected—are simply too talented to be cut, and Koné figures to make the team given her considerable potential to develop into a long-term building block. Conveniently, that leaves three spots on the Sky’s final roster up for grabs—one for each of the players the Sky selects in next week’s draft.
Because of the talent in this draft class and the Sky’s relatively low odds to make the playoffs in 2024, I’d have to expect the third and eighth picks make the team regardless of what happens in camp. The thirteenth pick, however, may be left fighting for the final roster spot with the other three unprotected players—with Carter looking like the strongest of the bunch at this stage. Of course, Chicago could also look to add from someone else’s leftovers (Dallas, for instance, has two top 9 picks to add to a roster that already looks full) when cuts begin in May.
The Draft’s Biggest Questions
1. Where will the Sky go at 3?
Nothing is ever set in stone in the wild world that is the WNBA Draft, but it sure feels like the Sky will draft a big with this pick—meaning there’s four players who I see as a realistic candidates: Kamilla Cardoso, Rickea Jackson, Aaliyah Edwards and Angel Reese. While a large portion of the fanbase seems to have settled on Jackson as the obvious pick, I don’t see this one being quite so cut and dry. Each of the four players in question has notable strengths and weaknesses that can make a case for or against them being the third player off the board.
For Cardoso, the biggest strengths are her physical tools and the huge growth she experienced as a player in her first year starting at South Carolina. Her range at the offensive end is still developing, but the improvement she showed as a defender (especially in space) during her lone season starting for Dawn Staley shows that she’s far from a finished product. If Jeff Pagliocca and Teresa Weatherspoon believe they can continue developing her on that type of trajectory for at least a couple more seasons, she can be the best of this bunch—with a useful and dynamic skillset at both ends.
For Reese, the skills as a rebounder and a defender are the draw. Her ability to rebound the ball is probably the single-most pro-ready skill of any of these four players, and I’d expect she’ll be one of the W’s premier rebounders in year one. Reese’s basketball IQ and reading of the game are also very underrated and a pairing with Elizabeth Williams in the front court would instantly give the Sky an elite defense down low—while she crafts her offensive game over time. That said, GMs (like fans) often jump at players who are more polished offensively so I won’t be surprised if Reese slides down the board a few picks.
For Edwards, balance is the selling point. She doesn’t have one or two skills that blatantly stick out from her package as much as the other three because she’s so skilled at everything. If those across the board skills continue to develop, she’ll end up as a generational player, but I’d argue that even her floor is a high-level starter for the next decade. She’s been somewhat overlooked in the draft process due to a quiet regular season for UConn (by their high standard). However, I don’t think Pagliocca or other GMs have forgotten Edwards. She’s a very real option at 3 and could be a sleeper for Rookie of the Year given how refined her game is.
Last but certainly not least is Jackson. There’s no doubt about what she can do as a scorer, and her playmaking in the SEC Tournament semi-final against South Carolina showed an impressive secondary skill that teams will hope to develop further. Yet, I feel Rickea’s success at the W level will be mostly about going to a situation where the organization has a clear plan about how to use her long term. Her positional versatility has advantages, but teams will also use it against Jackson (especially on defense) if a clear plan isn’t in place. If Spoon has that plan, it’s obvious what she can add for Chicago but I’d be more considerate of the other options than others seem to be.
2. Does position matter at 8?
Assuming the Sky do select a big with the third pick, they’ll be looking at a roster with four guards, five bigs and Michaela Onyenwere (the team’s only true three) ahead of their eighth and thirteenth picks. The current roster certainly looks light at small forward, but Jackson, if selected, can (and probably should) play there while DeShields is also a candidate to get minutes given her size and skillset. Either way, the Sky want to know what they have with Onyenwere approaching free agency; so, I don’t think they’ll be overly worried if they end up giving her the bulk of the team’s small forward minutes. Because of that balance in the current roster (and the number of players out of contract after 2024), the Sky should go best available with these last two picks.
For simplicity’s sake, let’s assume that Caitlin Clark, Cameron Brink and the four bigs I’ve honed in on are six of the top seven picks and off the board at 8. That leaves the Sky picking out of the next tier of players which includes Alissa Pili, Charisma Osborne, Jacy Sheldon, Elizabeth Kitley, Nyadiew Puoch and a few others. Puoch would probably have the clearest path to playing time as healthy competition between her and Onyenwere could help both players elevate their game—with the Sky free to let Onyenwere go next winter if Puoch surpasses her. Similarly, Kitley would be in a solid situation (she’ll likely miss 2024 after a torn ACL) long term given Elizabeth Williams is approaching free agency with no replacement in the pipeline. To the contrary, Sheldon and Osborne would have to fight with four veteran guards for playing time while Pili would likely wind up in the queue of bigs with Williams, Turner, Harrison and Koné (plus the 3rd pick). Chicago may not need to draft based on position at eight, but they have to ensure that whoever they pick is provided the opportunities needed to develop at the professional level.
With Puoch (a raw talent with loads of room for growth) perhaps an exception, I view the list of options expected to be left at eight as far less “franchise building block” and far more “solid supporting piece” long term. In their current position, the Sky need both types of players; so, there’s nothing wrong with them looking for ‘role players’ with this pick and the thirteenth pick that follows.
3. Trades?!
Unless the Sky are certain they can move down a couple of picks and still get the player they want, I don’t see them trading the third overall pick. However, the eighth pick is a more interesting one—especially given the obvious concerns with getting everyone time on court if the majority of the best available players at that point are bigs. The question, then, is how much value the pick really has. LA and Dallas already have multiple first-round picks, Washington (#6) and Minnesota (#7) pick just before Chicago and a few other teams would struggle to find a roster spot even if they did have their eyes on a particular player. The Sky’s best bet would probably be hoping one of the Sun (#10), Liberty (#11) or Dream (#12) wants to jump the other two to get a particular player. Even then, it’s hard to see them offering much more than their own 2024 first-rounder and some future seconds. Moving down a couple of slots to add future second-rounders might be a value play in the NFL, but there’s little evidence that’s a move worth making in the WNBA.
One long shot trade partner who could offer that future first? Las Vegas. The Aces first pick of the draft is at 16 and it’s improbable that player would make their roster. The 8th pick, however, could be spent on a player like Pili or Kitley who could be a low-risk, high-reward option for the defending champs. Because the Aces don’t have anything to offer the Sky in this year’s draft, they’d have to dig into their collection of future picks—with their next first-rounder available in 2026. That pick probably won’t be any higher than #8 either, but it’s better for the Sky to get a future asset if they don’t feel confident about any of the players left when it’s time to make that pick. Of course, there’s also the possibility (albeit remote) of the Sky packaging a player and the eighth pick for another W player they have their eyes on.