Chicago Sky Faces Tough Future Amid WNBA Expansions and Poor Season

CHICAGO, Ill. — The Chicago Sky’s season of reinvention has taken a drastic turn for the worse. With one game left in the season, the team stands at a disappointing 10-33 record under rookie head coach, who was brought in to spark a struggling offense and revive a disenchanted fanbase.

The Sky’s troubles deepened recently when one of their players criticized her teammates in a Chicago Tribune interview, adding to the mounting frustrations. As the Sky grapple with this turmoil, the looming arrival of expansion teams—Toronto Tempo and Portland Fire—set to enter the WNBA in 2026 casts a shadow over their future prospects.

The expansion will heighten competition for the Sky, who are already having difficulty attracting top talent and building a successful roster. The addition of new teams signals growth in the women’s game, but for franchises like Chicago, it signifies a fight for survival.

Each new expansion team must have at least 11 players signed before they can join the league. Current teams must submit rosters, choosing to protect six players deemed essential. Any player not protected becomes available in the expansion draft, allowing new franchises to select from a pool that could include some of the Sky’s talent.

As the Tempo and Fire scour the available players and potential free agents, the Sky’s front office faces a critical challenge. Their ability to enhance their roster and find contributors is severely limited by the impending expansion.

Moreover, tensions between the Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) and the league regarding a new collective bargaining agreement could hinder all teams from negotiating effectively with free agents. With about 80% of the league’s players poised to hit unrestricted free agency, timing is crucial for the Sky.

The outlook is grim for the franchise, but they hold a slight hope by possessing the Connecticut Sun‘s first-round pick in the 2026 draft—a selection expected to land in the lottery. Whether this could change the trajectory of a beleaguered team remains uncertain, but fans fear they may already know what the future holds.