Chicago Akash simply grew up – and a completely from the back of the arc – in the first official day of the WNBA free agency.
Sky on Saturday took two important steps to strengthen its backcourt, dropped the Kia nurse from the free agency and the trading guard Lindsay Alan in a connecting sun in exchange for Wing Rebecca Ellen. Elance’s business-which is not related-was reported by Chicago Sun-Times and the nurse was first reported by ESPN. These tricks immediately chased to return to the role of the point guard following the signature of former Star Courtney Wanderslut.
With these acquisitions, Akash is developing a clear identity for its backcourt: with the ability to spread the floor through a long and defensive-minded group shooting, paint and less posted to Big Angeel Reese and Kamilla Cardso Space Gives to work in.
General Manager Jeff Pagliaka entered the offsen with the target of giving sky balance. Last year, the crime struggled with a stagnation due to ball facility and lack of long distance shooting. The worst 3-point shooting team in the Sky League was 14.9 attempts behind the game arch.
Without any external threat, Defense felt comfortable to pack the paint to commit crimes around the rees and cards, which were limited as a result. This was increased by the fact that Akash was one of the smallest teams in the league in the league in the previous season, Lindsay Alan (5 -Foot -8), Chandi Carter (5 -Foot -9) and Dana Evans like fielding guards ( 5 -Foot -6).
Adding nurses and Rebecca Alan should reduce these issues. The nurse is a 6-foot guard and a 32.4% shooter from the 3-point range, despite seeing a minor dip in production during an off year with Los Angeles Sparks in the previous season. Ellen is a 6 -foot -2 wing, which in 2024 has an average of 35.7% behind the arc with the Sun. Both players are also consistently rebounders, a significant symptom as a high amount of 3-point efforts will possibly overtake the long-term rebounds that will do backcourt players. Need to track down.
Alan’s health is a concern-he missed parts of the previous season with hip and back injuries, eventually missing the playoffs for season-ending back surgery. But if she can return to complete health, the wing will provide an important piece of vacancy to the offense of the wing Akash.
With a wanderslut as its primary point guard, the sky no longer needs to rely as a narrator on Lindsay Alan-and Rebecca Allen is an immediate upgrade to the Allen Backcort, which stands six inches long, while on the crime while on the crime 3-point contributes four times to production.
Akash has now collected the wholesale of his backcourt, which will also include 5-Foot-10 guards Rachel Bainham and 6-Foot Wing Michela Onenvere, which hope to signed again after providing a qualification in a restricted free agency. Is. The front office is still weighing the option for Evans and Moria Jefferson, who played a secondary role in the previous season.
Adding nurses and allen also make a clear road map for the rest of the rest. Sky purchased most of January for the number 3 draft pick as a potential property to acquire veteran backcort talent to provide significant balance for rees and cards. But after adding three cheaps to highly skilled circumference players-Wanderslut for facility, high-least 3-point shooting Alan and Nurse-Akash now to dig the number 3 and number 10 pics in the second phase There is more likely to maintain. Construction through draft.
The sky is still looking for similar qualities out of the draft pics: length, shooting and defense. It stands out many ideal pair, namely Sonia Citron of Notre Dame and Sheen Sellers of Maryland.
Citron is a 6 -foot -1 wing known for its defense, who shot 36.8% in his four -year career in South Bend. Her ability to place the floor and facilitate the ball – complementing the team’s partner Olivia Miles, who is selected in the second place if declared for drafts – is important for the success of Irish in this season. . The seller is an equally vertebable scorer for Terrapins, shooting 33.8% from the 3-point range.
Akash can include Bryna Maxwell in the training camp in this spring by inviting this group’s pre-draft of this group. Maxwell Fit Paglooka’s profile-a 6-foot guard, who shot 42.7% in a five-year college career-but to prove herself with the sky after suffering from a long-term knee injury at his first training camp at his first training camp Did not get a chance.
After a promising outing in Spain in the late 2024, Maxwell can be another low-risk, high-inam piece for the sky to bulk its shot profile.
WNBA can change a lot in the next two months before the WNBA draft in April-but a clear reconstruction year towards the sky is a sign of progress to the sky, which now now good to establish a foundation for a new identity under the first Differently stationed- the head coach of the year Tyler Marsh.