Are the playoffs still the best path forward for the Sky?
The Sky are at a crossroads.
Behind door No. 1 is the franchise’s sixth consecutive playoff berth.
Behind door No. 2 is a lottery pick.
However, what no one within the franchise has been open to admitting — going back to former coach/general manager James Wade — is that door No. 2 might serve them better in the long run. But with just seven games remaining in the regular season and with a tenuous grip on the eighth and final playoff spot, the path taken might be chosen for them.
“We’re not thinking [about the lottery],” Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “We’re thinking about staying in the playoffs where we are right now. That’s our mission.”
The Sky’s mission appears beyond their capabilities.
The first seven teams have clinched their spots in the playoffs, leaving five teams to vie for the last berth. The Sky and Dream are tied for eighth, and the Mystics, Wings and Sparks are all still technically alive.
In 2023, one of Wade’s last moves as GM before taking a job in the NBA was to swing a four-team trade for guard Marina Mabrey. Part of that trade included the Sky sending the rights to their first-round pick in the 2025 draft to the Wings in a pick swap.
The draft lottery automatically includes the four teams that fail to make the playoffs. Each team’s cumulative record over the last two seasons determines their odds of selecting picks 1-4.
In the unlikely scenario that the Wings (9-24) — who visit the Sky (11-22) on Sunday — take over the eighth spot, the Sky would send their lottery pick to the Wings. However, if both teams fail to make the playoffs, the Wings will utilize the pick swap only if the Sky end up with a higher selection in the lottery.
Most mock drafts have UConn guard Paige Bueckers going No. 1 overall. This doesn’t concern the Sky because even if they miss the playoffs and land the No. 1 pick through the lottery, the Wings would swap for it. The highest pick the Sky could end up with is No. 2.
The 2025 draft class already is being praised for its depth.
Stanford forward Kiki Iriafen and LSU guard Aneesah Morrow, a Chicago product, are projected as top-four picks. Dominique Malonga — a 6-6 center from France — is another projected lottery pick.
The Sky are in desperate need of shooters, which might cause some to question the fit of those potential draftees. If their value doesn’t show up directly with the Sky, the value could be realized indirectly through a trade.
GM Jeff Pagliocca also acquired the Sun’s 2025 first-round pick, which provides him with either another asset to package in any trade or a player who could help the Sky through another chapter of their rebuild. In 2026, he’ll have two first-round picks again.
The Lynx own the rights to swap first-round picks with the Sky in 2026. But the Sky also own either the Mercury’s 2026 first-round pick or the Sun’s.
When Pagliocca traded Kahleah Copper to the Mercury, the Mercury’s 2026 first-round pick was included in the package. When Pagliocca traded Mabrey, he acquired the right to swap the 2026 first-round pick he acquired from the Mercury with the Sun.
This could amount to a lottery pick in a draft that potentially could include USC star Juju Watkins, pending changes to the league’s collective-bargaining agreement that require a player to be 22 years old, have completed her college eligibility or be four years removed from high school.
On Wednesday, Chennedy Carter, the Sky’s leading scorer, returned to practice after a four-game absence because of illness. She echoed Weatherspoon’s sentiments regarding their playoff push.
But the Sky need to start thinking about the long game, which will be won through the draft.