Film Study: What Michaela Onyenwere & Brianna Turner Will Bring to Chicago

Draft compensation is a key part of the Sky's return for Kahleah Copper but the two players involved in the deal could also bring considerable value.

The Sky are in full rebuild mode after dealing Kahleah Copper and versatile bench big Morgan Bertsch to the Phoenix Mercury (read my full blog on the deal here), and the conversation around how the Sky will move with the #3 pick is likely to dominate the trade’s aftermath. However, both of the players coming in the deal also have the potential to bring value for the Sky—especially in a season where the team expects to miss the playoffs. Let’s take a look at what each brings to Chicago (while keeping in mind that Onyenwere is extension eligible between now and May 15th and either could still be dealt again):

Michaela Onyenwere

Onyenwere’s tape strikes me as that of a player who—despite already having three seasons and a rookie of the year award under her belt—is still just scratching the surface of her insane potential. For the Mercury’s high-powered (even before acquiring Copper) team, fully nurturing that potential into the world class player Onyenwere can become would’ve been challenging to do while trying to squeeze one last title run out of their aging core of DT and BG. For the Sky, that untapped side of Onyenwere—who’s already playing at a very solid level—can easily make her the centerpiece of this trade down the line. Even if she doesn’t develop into the franchise player, Onyenwere already has the makings of a key contributor alongside a superstar and should keep growing under Spoon.

While she has obvious skills at both ends of the court, Onyenwere’s ability to score the ball is what jumps out most. What I like about her as a scorer is that she’s extremely multi-faceted. Many players are great at driving to the rim and scoring, but Onyenwere shows again and again that she’s able to score creatively when her drives can’t take her all the way to the basket. Even when she’s using a favored moved—like the spinning fadeaway you see in the first two plays below—she’s able to adapt as circumstances dictate. The two shots are generated from different pivot feet—showing how effectively she can square her body into her desired shooting position even while rising up.

The third play—against the Fever—is another example of her excellent body control. First, she uses a well-measured spin move to take the first defender out of the play before quickly transitioning into a shot that can’t be blocked. Some of her moves are clearly well-rehearsed favorites but in game situations like this show how natural of a scorer she is as no amount of practice could prepare her for the defenders’ unique positioning. Beyond all that on-ball work, Onyenwere also pops up in great spots for teammates because of her clever off-ball movement. In the fourth play, this time against the Mystics, you see how her run—especially the early move towards the opposite block—helps Sug Sutton unload the ball after being walled off by Tianna Hawkins along the baseline. In the process, Onyenwere also demonstrates how aptly she can finish at the rim when she has a mismatch.

On defense, Onyenwere is solid, but the challenging circumstances she’s been placed in over the last three years make it difficult to measure exactly where she is. Of course, Chicago may not be much better record wise than the 2021 Liberty or 2023 Mercury were in 2024, but I’m certain Spoon will do everything in her power to avoid finishing in the bottom three of the league in defensive rating like those teams did. Having a player with Onyenwere’s insane athleticism that is also clearly committed on defense is a great starting point. At 0.5 per game, Onyenwere is already amongst the top shot-blockers in the league at her size (6’0”), and I can only assume that Spoon’s tutelage will help her produce more consistency alongside the highlight reel blocks like the one on Kalani Brown below. Given she’s still a very young player, the expanded role Onyenwere will have with the Sky in 2024 will help us paint a much more complete picture of her defensively by season’s end.

Brianna Turner

Before we even dive into tape, Turner’s durability jumps out as she’s played 158 of 164 possible games since entering the W at the start of 2019. Along the way, Turner has started 134 of those games and averaged 27.1 minutes per game—meaning the Sky should have no reservations about leaning on her heavily at the four next season if needed. All of that experience also makes her a valuable asset for the Sky’s young players—Sika Koné in particular—to learn from. That said, Spoon will have to find a delicate balance between a veteran player such as Turner helping the team achieve short term results and a talented prospect like Sika having the space to spread her wings. With both listed at 6’3”, there’s also a chance that the duo (as well as Isabelle Harrison—also 6’3”) could co-exist when Elizabeth Williams sits. One last note: a further move seems more possible for Turner than Onyenwere as every contender could use Turner’s skillset. As she’s slated to make $150,000 this season, the financials are complicated for most title contenders but don’t be shocked if someone finds a way to make it work.

Assuming she does stay in Chicago, Turner and Williams will form a dangerous defensive front court when they share the floor. Turner’s block percentage last season (3.5%) placed her among the W’s top twenty-five—a far from insignificant figure when playing alongside Brittney Griner (4.9% - 7th). In Griner’s absence a year earlier, Turner showed she’s amongst the league’s best (4.2% - 10th) when the vast majority of the volume is coming her way. Much like Alanna Smith did a season ago, Turner’s skills as a help defender—which you can see in the first play below—make her a great complementary sidekick to Williams who excels as a more traditional shot-blocking center. This block on Washington’s Shatori Walker-Kimbrough showcases how Turner’s cerebral ability is just as important to her help defense abilities as her physical tools. You can see Turner scanning the floor throughout the play—eventually allowing her to do the calculus that Sophie Cunningham has been left on an island defensively and needs help.

Though her reading of the game shines, that shouldn't hide the impressive physical and technical abilities Tuner also possesses. Her footwork and speed, especially for a 6’3” player, are impressive—allowing her to keep up with quicker players (like Diamond Miller—second play below) or stay in front of more robust bigs when they put the ball on the floor (Napheesa Collier—third play). That foot speed is also evident in the final play below where she tracks the ball all the way around the perimeter before using her length to block Li Meng’s shot. This combination of skills makes Turner exceptional moving laterally—meaning she performs just as well in 1-v-1 situations as she does when helping.

Offensively, Turner is not a big scorer (3.5 PPG last year) and she doesn’t shoot threes (2 in 5 seasons), but she’s extremely efficient with the shots she takes (65%—a figure that would’ve led the league if she qualified). She’s also an effective decision maker as a passer and an active mover off the ball—just like on defense. Though she won’t dominate games offensively, Turner also won’t be the player that stops the offense from being functional—not always a given for players that do so much of their shooting around the basket. On the glass, 2023 was a less impressive year statistically for Turner after she finished top-15 in rebounding each of the three years before, but she’s still only 27 and has all the traits needed to return to her previous figures. Time will tell, but I’d guess last year’s declining numbers—especially on the offensive glass (where she fell from 2.6 per game in ‘20 to 1.3 last year) are more a slight dip than a damning indicator of her 2024.