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Apr 14, 2025; New York, New York, USA; Hailey Van Lith poses with WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert after being selected with the number eleven overall pick to the Chicago Sky in the 2025 WNBA Draft at The Shed at Hudson Yards. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Sky Should Trade Draft Picks with Mystics Again

Originally posted on Chicago Sky On SI | By Scott Conrad | Last updated Dec 3, 2025 12:59 PM ET

Since Jeff Pagliocca has taken over as the general manager of the Chicago Sky, he has been consistent on a few accounts. Though, unfortunately, one of those two are back-to-back losing seasons and missing the WNBA Playoffs for the second year in a row, he has made some major deals before either season started.

In Pagliocca's first year, he signed off on a trade at the 2024 WNBA Draft that saw the Sky and the Minnesota Lynx swap picks. Instead of Chicago taking on Alissa Pili, the 2021 WNBA champions welcomed forward Angel Reese as their second rookie of the first round that night.

Joining center Kamilla Cardoso, Reese helped fix the Sky's rebounding woes from 2023. Chicago has been among the WNBA's best rebounding teams for the past two seasons during Pagliocca's tenure. The former LSU Tigers standout has led the league in rebounding in both her seasons with the Sky.

Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Last year, Chicago struck another trade on draft night when the team announced they were trading the rights to the third overall selection of the 2025 WNBA Draft for veteran guard Ariel Atkins. That's how the Washington Mystics landed Sonia Citron who became an All-Star during her rookie season.

In the hopes of turning the Sky's fortune around by adding a former WNBA champion (2019), the Mystics got the better end of the deal. Now, the two teams could become trade partners again for this sole reason.

Sky could gain more draft stock from Mystics in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

Chicago owns the fifth overall pick in the spring. Though that isn't as good as the first overall pick, it is still higher than both of Washington's first-round picks in the 2026 WNBA Draft.

The Mystics own the ninth and eleventh picks come draft night. While both teams missed out on the WNBA Playoffs in 2025, the Sky could help the Mystics move up in the draft and gain two rookies in the first round along the way.

2026 WNBA Draft Order:

1. Wings
2. Lynx
3. Storm
4. Mystics
5. Sky
6. Tempo/Fire
7. Fire/Tempo
8. Valkyries
9. Mystics
10. Fever
11. Mystics
12. Sun
13. Dream
14. Storm
15. Sun

Tempo and Fire will flip a coin for the No. 6 and No. 7 draft picks at a later date. pic.twitter.com/GhTNYt2Qzy
— Underdog WNBA (@UnderdogWNBA) November 23, 2025

The last time Chicago welcomed two players in the first round of a WNBA season, it saw Cardoso and Reese transform the Sky. They went from the fourth-worst rebounding team in 2023 to among one of the best collectors of missed shots, including their own.

Pagliocca may miss out on top stars like UConn's guard Azzi Fudd and UCLA's center Lauren Bett. They could pull Reese's former teammate at LSU, Flau'Jae Johnson, if she fell to Chicago at the ninth overall pick after this proposed trade.

Matthew Hinton-Imagn Images

That would give the Sky another selection two picks later, potentially adding a point guard like Iyana Martin Carrion from Spain. Chicago lacked play-making skills once veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot went down in the team's seventh game due to a season-ending ACL tear.

This article first appeared on Chicago Sky On SI and was syndicated with permission.

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