NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Imagine if the Chicago Sky continues to fall in the standings. There is a good chance they could land JuJu Watkins or Paige Bueckers in the 2025 WNBA Draft. Currently sitting at 6-11, the Sky is not at the bottom of the WNBA standings, but they are just a few games ahead of the Dallas Wings (4-14), Washington Mystics (4-15), and Los Angeles Sparks (4-15).
The team with the worst record gets to pick first and it trickles down from there. This places the Sky with a shot but it may still be a pipe dream. But all is not lost for Sky fans. Watkins and Bueckers can still be an option.
The Sky have their centerpieces in the frontcourt with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso and a serviceable scoring guard in Marina Mabrey. While the leading scorer and shot-taker for Chicago, she is not Watkins of Bueckers. Pairing either of these players with Cardoso and Reese will give the Chicago Sky their own version of a Big 3 in the WNBA.
Reese is currently averaging 13.3 points and 11.4 rebounds in 17 starts. Cardoso is averaging 8.4 points and 7.5 rebounds in 8 starts. While Resse has been criticized for her shot attempts, she’s doing exactly what she did in college. She’s battling in the post with veterans. The same goes for Cardoso. What makes a player in the paint dynamic is being blended into the offense and that begins with good or great guard play.
Mabrey is averaging 4.1 assists per game and the Sky as a team is ranked 10th out of 12 in total assists per game. That means the ball is not moving as well as it should. The Sky are in need of a playmaker. Mabrey is not the long-term answer and neither is Dana Evans or Chennedy Carter. This is why getting Watkins or Bueckers is so vital this offseason.
No one is saying the Sky should tank but they should be mindful of the bigger goal. It’s time to start building a winner and so far, they have added the right pieces. The 2024 Draft was a slam dunk for them
It has not been cemented that JuJu Watkins will enter the 2025 Draft, but at this point, it should be a done deal. Paige Bueckers in my opinion should have come out this season.
Paige has taken the UConn Women’s mantle and done rather well with it even with their rich history of great collegiate players. As for Watkins, a freshman last season, she almost did what was considered impossible and led the USC Trojans to a title herself. Her next season is about growth and finishing the job. But still, the WNBA will be calling. What will Watkins do?
Can the Chicago Sky pick wrong? Well, that depends on what they’re looking for. Paige Bueckers is a pure shorter. Not as deadly as Clark but she can stretch a defense. Last season for UConn, Bueckers averaged 21.9 points while shooting .416 percent from deep to go along with 5.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. what she could do with her range and ability to get open would blend nicely with Reese and Cordoso’s style of play.
JuJu Watkins is a female Allen Iverson. There is not a defense invented yet that can contain her. In her freshman season for the Trojans, she averaged 27.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.3 assists. She can create off the dribble with the best of them and find the open teammate with ease.
The Women’s game has taken the sports world by storm thanks to players such as Clark and Angel Reese. That popularity has followed them to the WNBA which leaves the mantle for Paige Bueckers and JuJu Watkins to carry.
The world will be watching what they do this season and so will the Chicago Sky. There is not a bad choice here. Both players are dynamic. Both players are team-oriented and both have a burning passion to win. Pair that with the inside presence the Chicago Sky currently has and they will form a Big 3 in The Chi.
