It’s time for everyone to implement better exercise habits, healthier eating, better sleep and other life-changing goals. As always, the new year is associated with change.
And for heaven’s sake in 2023, there will be plenty.
Coach and general manager James Wade, who has the highest winning percentage of any Sky coach and is the 2022 manager of the year, is committed to the 2025 season. But there is little else guaranteed to stay the same. Five members of the roster will be free agents next year, and according to HerHoopStats.com, Wade will have $931,801 in cap space to re-sign players or pursue them. to others.
The offer period is January 11-20, and starting January 21, players can participate in contract negotiations. On February 1, players can start signing up.
Here are the predictions for Sky’s free agents:
Courtney Vandersloot
After years of re-signing no doubt looking at franchise player after franchise player left the Sky, Vandersloot, the 2011 No. 3 overall pick, the welcomes his choices. He successfully achieved his goal of bringing the championship to the team that drafted him. But a year later, he suffered one of the toughest losses of his career when Sky were eliminated by the Sun in the semifinals in September.
There’s no way Vandersloot, known for his competitive nature, is going to get off that note, right? He’s going to go back and fix that awful game door, right?
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During the semifinals, he told the Sun-Times that as much as he hates change, he knows it’s necessary to continue progressing as a player. After 12 years with the same company, what is the most important change before joining a new company?
prediction: Vandersloot, who is from the Seattle area, will sign a one-year contract with the Storm.
Allie Quigley
After playing for four different teams in her four years in the WNBA, Quigley, who starred at DePaul, signed with the Sky City in 2013 and became one of top scorer of the league. During the All-Star weekend this past July, she became the first player from the WNBA or the NBA to win four three-point shooting contests.
For the past two years, he has been open to considering retirement. Although he has not made a decision about next season, according to his manager, he was right on the subject after Sky’s playoff exit.
“The game has given me more than I ever imagined,” Quigley said. “I never imagined that it would end up like this or that I would have a career, especially work in Chicago with my family, and be with my wife. [Vandersloot]. It is impossible to prove. I couldn’t have asked for anything better. It was a dream come true.
prediction: Quigley retired after 14 seasons.
Candace Parker
Like Quigley, Parker has been on a layoff watch since last year, keeping in mind that when he can’t play in a position to hold himself, he will step up. Last month, she revealed that she plans to return for her 16th WNBA season.
“Now, yes, I’m game,” he said on Richard Deitsch’s sports media podcast.
Parker, who grew up in Naperville, credited Vandersloot’s role in persuading him to sign a two-year deal with the Sky through 2021. During this free agency period, Parker could try persuade Vandersloot to return a year later.
prediction: Parker re-signed for one year with Sky.
Azurá Stevens
In three seasons in Chicago, Stevens has shown that she deserves to be a starter in the WNBA, and there are many teams that she would be a good fit for. The Sky is one of them, but its return depends on its role.
If Stevens is part of the platform that Wade builds in the future, along with Kahleah Copper, he will be back. But he will not return to average 22 minutes per game.
prediction: Stevens signs a multiyear deal with Sky.
Emma Meesseman
Meesseman’s signing was the feat that cemented Wade’s position as manager of the year. The Belgian forward easily fits into the Sky system in place of Stefanie Dolson and has years of experience playing alongside Vandersloot, Quigley and the rest of the team.
However, last season, Meesseman was vocal about not being able to spend time with family. The WNBA’s new rule adds a new layer to its fight, requiring players to go to the market at the start of training camp or face penalties and stay on the market at the start of the season or be forced to leave. During exit interviews, Meesseman was adamant that the rule does not consider international players.
prediction: Meesseman chose the 2023 WNBA season.
