The Chicago Sky are not where general manager Jeff Pagliocca thought they’d be after 10 games. The Sky are 3-7, with their only wins coming against WNBA bottom feeders, the Dallas Wings and Connecticut Sun. The Wings and Sun have a combined 3-19 record.
Last week, Pagliocca made a few telling criticisms of the team before and after their 85-66 loss to the New York Liberty on Tuesday. Pagliocca said Reese needed to show better production on the court and that the team was showing him that they needed to make serious changes, even before losing Courtney Vandersloot for the season.
Reese earned her first career triple-double on Sunday, showing that the Sky need to continue building around her skill set as a facilitator and rebounder.
Per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune, Pagliocca is considering taking the drastic step of forgoing free agency and the trade market to pluck players from Europe when their time in the EuroBasket tournament is over.
“If (Moriah) Jefferson can’t get healthy, the Sky likely will waive a contract to look for a perimeter player who can help team defense and facilitation while also producing some 3-point shooting,” Poe wrote. “But this could take time, especially because Pagliocca also is considering the potential of courting European players who will be available after the FIBA Women’s EuroBasket.
“The conclusion of this tournament later this month will free up a wide range of players who are currently unsigned in the WNBA, giving the Sky a wider talent pool to pitch. And by that time, the prorated version of most midlevel contracts would fit under the Sky’s remaining salary cap.”
Pagliocca is hoping the Sky are in a much different position by the start of July. Following Chicago’s 78-66 win over the Sun on Sunday, the team has six games remaining in June. Of those six games, only the Phoenix Mercury and Atlanta Dream have winning records.
If the Sky can start playing consistently winning basketball, some help from Europe could help Reese and the young roster become a playoff threat this summer.
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