CHICAGO — A playoff spot remains within reach for Chicago Sky.
Even after being eliminated from playoff contention on Friday — and even after collapsing Sunday in a 93-88 loss to the Phoenix Mercury at Wintrust Arena, their 10th defeat in 12 games — the Sky (13-25) did not lose hope.
THE The Atlanta Dream (13-25) beat the The Washington Mystics (13-25) earlier Sunday, creating a three-way tie for the final playoff spot. And that means the Sky still have a chance to sneak into the playoffs if they win their final two road games this week.
The Sky haven’t missed the playoffs since 2018. But as they enter the final stretch of the regular season, they face a crucial question:
Is a playoff spot in this team’s best interest?
During the Olympic break, qualifying for the playoffs was a reasonable goal for the Sky as they begin a long-term build around rookies Kamilla Cardoso And Angel Reese. A first-round series could have yielded both first-round draft picks — as well as other young newcomers such as Chennedy Carter — an important experience without expectations of producing a deep playoff run.
But things have changed. The Sky have no shot at making the playoffs. Their offense is in free fall, averaging a league-worst 75.5 points since the Olympic break. Reese is sidelined for the rest of the season with a wrist injury. And the bench isn’t a factor as the Sky rely on Carter and Cardoso to do most of the scoring.
There’s a reason the Sky haven’t beaten a team above .500 since July, when they upset the The Aces of Las Vegas in the last match before the Olympic break.
So if the Sky fail to qualify, what’s the point of chasing a playoff spot? The answer is unclear, especially now that a spot would have diminishing returns due to injury concerns for both rookies.
The loss of Reese was already a blow to the Sky’s playoff chances — and to the value of this team’s playoff run. That trend continued when Cardoso re-aggravated her right shoulder — which she dislocated in her preseason debut — in Friday’s loss to the Minnesota Lynx.
Although coach Teresa Weatherspoon said Cardoso was not on a minutes restriction, the center played just nine minutes Sunday after showing visible discomfort throughout the first half.
The possibility of Cardoso getting hurt again should make the Sky wary for the rest of the regular season. But the injuries to Reese and Cardoso aren’t the only reason why missing the playoffs would be preferable. If the Sky want to keep up the pace of this rebuild, they need to get him back in the 2025 draft.
While building a “super team” in free agency has become more common in the WNBA in recent seasons, success in this league is still built through the draft. The most recent example is Indiana Feverwho has earned lottery picks for seven straight years to build his current core around top pick Caitlin Clark.
The Sky still have a lot of work to do, especially at guard, where they have struggled all season. If they make the playoffs, they won’t be a lottery pick, which could put their pick as high as sixth, depending on how the WNBA ranks the Golden State Valkyries in the draft.
If they miss the playoffs, however, the Sky could land as high as the No. 2 pick, with an additional top-10 pick via a trade with the The Connecticut Sun.
To be clear, the Sky can’t really tank. Dallas Wings The Red Sox have their own trade rights for their first-round pick, so they wouldn’t be able to keep the top pick (expected to be Connecticut star Paige Bueckers) even if they won the lottery. But that doesn’t mean a lower lottery pick wouldn’t be valuable with other guards like Olivia Miles, Georgia Amoore and potentially Azzi Fudd on the board this year.
Winning feels good. And a playoff spot would provide a redemptive conclusion to a season ravaged by growing pains. But if the Sky are looking to build long-term success, their priorities in the final week of this season should be protecting Cardoso’s health and securing a solid draft position — even if it means some short-term discomfort.
