The defending champ Chicago Sky have reported to training camp and are beginning their title defense. Key players to that team are now gone, such as Stefanie Dolson and Diamond DeShields, and reinforcements have been brought in, such as Jullie Allemand and Emma Meesseman, to reinvigorate this team and add an arsenal of new players to their title defense. All in all, the Sky have 14 players at camp with only three spots available. Here is a chart made by Twitter star @TheSkyShowChi on every player associated with the Chicago Sky and their current situation.
How to decide the final spots
With so many players and so few spots, what should the Sky be looking for, and who should SkyTown keep an eye on? Well, there are a few ways to fill out the roster. You can go with talent or fit. The Sky roster seems a bit light in the forward and center positions, so maybe you focus on that and go with the best big. Or perhaps you just try everyone out and go for the best talent, even if it’s another shooting guard. It will be interesting to see who James Wade plays during the preseason and how well those players play. That could give us a hint on what he’s thinking.
Vets to watch
Looking at the veterans at training camp, the Sky have two players with four seasons of experience, Kaela Davis and Imani McGee Stafford. Davis is a wing who averages a modest five points per game. She hadn’t played in the WNBA since 2020, when she was part of the Atlanta Dream, but she has played overseas with Maccabi Ra’anana, CDB Clarinos Tenerife, and Galatasaray.
Imani McGee Stafford is no stranger to the SKy; she was drafted by the team in 2016. The Athletes United alumni has been gone from the WNBA for two years because she went to law school. She’s back now and part of the training camp roster. The center averaged 4.7 points in her 13.8 minutes of play and will be looking to take one of those three spots left.
The Sophomores
Three players enter camp with one year of experience in the W; Kathleen Doyle, Kysre Gondrezick, and Kamiah Smalls. The interesting aspect is that all three are guards. Kamiah Smalls was the most productive of the trio, but all three had relatively small roles. Can one of them make the team?
The Rookies
The list of rookies on training camps deals is long. Sky have nine players who have joined with hopes of getting a permanent spot. Those players are; Anneli Maley, Emmanuell Tahane, Kaba Masseny, Kayla Wells, Lexi Held, Lindsey Pulliam, Rebekah Gardner, Sparkle Taylor, and Tina Krajišnik. These players might have a long shot at getting a spot, but they were chosen for a reason. They have talent and potential, and you never know who was overlooked and should be playing in the W.
Closing Thoughts
James Wade has until May 9 to finalize his roster. That gives him a little over two weeks and two preseason games to decide on these players. This decision will be crucial as the Sky are trying to repeat as WNBA champions.
Sky in the Chi 