Will there even be a season? And other pressing Sky questions
It’s speculation season in the WNBA, where drawn-out collective bargaining negotiations derailed the usual offseason routine. While players and team owners hash it out, the Sun-Times analyzes the moving parts ahead of the Sky’s 2026 season.
1. Will the season start on time?
The schedule says “play ball” on May 8, with the Sky set to open in Portland on May 9. But will they?
Beyond CBA negotiations, the league still needs to run an expansion draft for two new teams, the college draft and a massive free agency period. It now says that if a deal isn’t reached by March 10, the season won’t begin on time.
The sticking point: a $58 million gap between the two sides’ salary cap proposals. The league claims the players’ proposal would lead to “hundreds of millions of dollars” in losses over the life of the agreement, while the players say it would leave the league in a “profitable position.”
Nobody can validate any of that, because league financials and projections aren’t public.
Still, both sides insist they’re trying to avoid a strike or lockout, and say they want a season.
2. What will the Sky roster look like?
While nothing is set in stone, fans can reasonably expect to see Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, Ajša Sivka, and Courtney Vandersloot in a Sky uniform this season. Vandersloot is a free agent and franchise great who plans to return, and Reese, Cardoso, and Sivka are young building blocks under contract.
To make this crew competitive, the Sky will need some wins in free agency. The biggest unknown on that front is Ariel Atkins. The Sky traded for the two-time All-Star last season hoping she’d become part of the core, but she hasn’t indicated whether she plans to return.
There will be plenty of opportunities to take big swings elsewhere, with more than 100 veteran free agents available. Coming off two losing seasons, though, Chicago will be a tough sell for the biggest names.
The Sky also have Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld under contract, but one will likely be left unprotected in the expansion draft. (Expansion teams Portland Fire and Toronto Tempo will each be able to pluck one “unprotected” player from every team.)
Van Lith is most likely to be protected given where the Sky drafted her in 2025 (No. 11). She’s been rehabbing an ankle injury, and the goal is for her to be ready by the start of the season, per a team source.
3. Who is Sivka and why haven’t I heard of her?
Sivka was the Sky’s top pick in the 2025 draft (No. 10), but the 20-year-old has been playing overseas. A 6-foot-3 sharpshooting wing, the Sky love her mobility and quick release. She’s shooting 36.4% from three on 4.7 attempts per game for her Spanish club.
General manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times he expects Sivka to report for the Sky’s 2026 season and play heavy minutes right away. Sivka’s agent did not respond in time to a request for confirmation.
4. What’s the latest with Reese?
Last season raised real doubts about Reese’s long-term future in Chicago. Given her talents as a generational rebounder and budding playmaker, she looked to be the face of the franchise for years to come.
That feels less certain now.
As another losing season came to a close, Reese’s tone toward the organization changed. She alluded to disappointment with how her back injury was handled and questioned the organization’s progress.
She told the Tribune that though she’d like to be in Chicago long-term, if “things don’t pan out” she might have to “move in a different direction and do what’s best for me.”
Sky ownership suspended her over other comments made in that interview, namely demanding a better roster and questioning the wisdom of relying on 37-year-old point guard Courtney Vandersloot.
Since then, no major flare-ups have occurred. Reese has not requested a trade and the Sky expect her back.
Still, neither side has publicly signaled that the relationship has been repaired.
Are Reese and the Sky still committed to each other for the long haul? Or are they just biding their time until her rookie contract ends after the 2027 season — or until the right trade partner comes along?
5. Where will the Sky practice?
At some point during the 2026 season, the Sky will practice in their new facility in Bedford Park. It’s one of only two new practice facilities opening this season and will be among the largest in the league.
The Sky just released a list of features through the Sports Business Journal including:
• Two full-size basketball courts
• Weight room
• Performance and recovery areas
• Kitchen with a full-time chef
• Hot and cold tubs, sauna, infrared room, massage room
• Players’ lounge
• On-site doctor’s office
• Mother’s and family room
• Content creation studio and glam stations
• Secure parking lot.
As far as when the building will be available, the Sky’s official projection is “late spring.”
Dave Brady, the mayor of Bedford Park, told the Sun-Times that much depends on the weather. He thinks there’s a “good chance” that the Sky will be able to use their locker room and weight room by May 1 and expects the courts to be ready by June. In the meantime, the Sky can practice in the attached Wintrust Sports Complex.
Which means a delayed start to the season may not be the worst thing for the Sky. More time to finish construction and show free agents what's coming.
6. Who will the Sky select at No. 5 in the 2026 college draft?
LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson and UCLA’s Kiki Rice appeared at No. 5 in recent mock drafts.
Both are reasonable picks for a team that just needs to add good players. Johnson is one of the most talented guards in her draft class, and while Rice may not have the same star ceiling, she has an explosiveness the Sky need.
There’s also a wrinkle with Johnson. She and Reese won the national championship together in 2023 at LSU, but since then both have indicated they aren’t friends.
That doesn't mean they can’t hoop together. But if the Sky are still committed to building around Reese, it’s a dynamic worth weighing.
In the meantime, keep an eye on UCLA’s loaded roster. Lauren Betts, Gabriela Jaquez, and Gianna Kneepkens could all fit for the Sky.
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