RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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The trade deadline is coming up Aug. 2, a time when teams can add talent for a playoff push, trade away veterans to build for the future or, as is far more common in the WNBA, stand pat.
Sky coach Tyler Marsh didn't tip his hand on what the team might do, saying he is focused on the players he has. He said he wasn't expecting many moves around the league, citing salary cap constraints and teams "outside of the Sky" being reluctant to part with draft capital.
When asked what type of player he would add if it came at no cost, he laughed.
"A'ja Wilson."
Can't fault him for dreaming about the league's best player. And dreaming might be the Sky's best escape from a past deal that has come back to haunt them.
The Sky entered the post-All-Star portion of the season in 13th place. Ordinarily, a team in that position could trade productive veterans for draft capital and turn its attention toward the future.
But because of a pick swap they agreed to with the Mystics in 2024, the Sky do not have that luxury. They need to make the playoffs or risk sending away what could be a top-three pick.
The Sky currently have the second-best odds at the No. 1 pick in the 2027 draft. The Mystics, meanwhile, hold the final playoff spot, with a 67.8% chance of keeping it, according to ESPN. If those trajectories continue, the Sky would hand over a potential top-three pick and get back a late first-rounder.
More than any player or pick, what the Sky need at the deadline is a way out of that bind.
If they could somehow convince Washington to relinquish the swap rights, it would restore flexibility. The Sky could still shoot for a miracle playoff run. But if they fall short, they would at least have a lottery pick to add to their young core.
So what could entice the Mystics into a deal?
Washington could use help at point guard, and the Sky have a good one in Skylar Diggins. But Diggins is injured and signed to an expensive two-year contract. Plus, a veteran guard might not be enough to pry away a pick with a legitimate chance of landing franchise-altering young talents such as Juju Watkins (USC), Madison Booker (Texas), or Hannah Hidalgo (Notre Dame).
How did the Sky get here?
The Sky traded the 2027 swap, along with the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, to Washington for Ariel Atkins. Atkins was supposed to help elevate the Sky into a winning team in 2025, and the swap was supposed to be innocuous because the Mystics appeared a long way off from playoff contention.
Neither bet panned out.
The Sky missed the playoffs last season, and the Mystics arrived ahead of schedule. Atkins was later traded to the Sparks for Rickea Jackson.
General manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times on July 3 that the swap is "on his mind at all times," but he did not express regret. He said he would make that deal "every single time," because it ultimately brought them Jackson.
"If that [swap] costs a few spots ultimately — which isn't even guaranteed yet — I feel passionate about where our team is going and what our trajectory is," Pagliocca said.
Could the Sky make a different deal?
The Sky's position makes them unlikely to take a major swing. But they could tweak around the margins, perhaps by finding a trade partner for backup center Elizabeth Williams, who could give a playoff team frontcourt depth, in return for draft capital.
Or they could use one or both of the first-round picks they acquired from the Dream to add a player.
More likely, the Sky's best "trade deadline addition" is one they'll make without a deal: the return of injured guard DiJonai Carrington.
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