In July 2022 Chicago Sky owner Michael Alter was in talks with Laura Ricketts about becoming a potential investor in the WNBA team.
In case you dont know who Laura Ricketts is:
Laura Ricketts, along with siblings Tom, Pete, and Todd, purchased all but 5% of the Cubs in 2009 for $845 million through Chicago Baseball Holdings. They acquired the rest in 2019.
The family also redeveloped the area around Wrigley Field and has plans to add a sportsbook to the stadium.
So Ricketts herself is apparently very anti-LGBTQ+, so that wasn't gonna work.
Well, Laura Ricketts herself is part of the LGBTQ+ community. It’s her brother Todd, also a part Cubs owner, who is a Republican and anti-LGBTQ. Is he gonna be part of this deal with the Sky? Unless he sees the endeavor as quite profitable down the road, idk why he would be.
Last Edit: Jan 26, 2023 21:00:35 GMT -5 by Deleted
So CP3 is leaving after two eventful, overall successful seasons. The Sky don't just lose her production, they lose her leadership that they clearly needed to win it all in 2021. So already their contention window I think has closed.
That said, Sloot is surely next to leave anyway. Quigley goes with her, whether she plays or not.
Stevens I can see sticking around if they make a max offer to her, but she's already been moved before.
Copper now might want to get traded (only signed through this year, fwiw).
Maybe both Meesseman re-signs for top dollar and Allemand shows up again if Ann Wauters remains on the coaching staff. Maybe they also aren't on the Sky's roster this year, either – if in the league at all.
This is probably now Gardner's team, Evans' team, Hebard's team, and that #5 Pick's team – assuming Wade doesn't creatively trade them to fill out his roster.
And finally, maybe Li Yueru plays & stays the full season this time.
Stevens probably gets overpaid by Chicago out of desperation. I don't think Quigley could sign with New York if that's where Sloot and Stewart end up. She likely retires. So the Sky will have Evans, Copper, Gardner, Stevens, Hebard, draft picks and whoever they can convince to come over. I doubt Yueru returns to Chicago since she burned that bridge.
Stevens probably gets overpaid by Chicago out of desperation. I don't think Quigley could sign with New York if that's where Sloot and Stewart end up. She likely retires. So the Sky will have Evans, Copper, Gardner, Stevens, Hebard, draft picks and whoever they can convince to come over. I doubt Yueru returns to Chicago since she burned that bridge.
Was any of her absences within her control? That's my question. Also, Chicago now could use the post depth – depth anywhere, really.
Both Stevens and Copper both have been on different teams before. I personally don't see both staying.
Yueru left the team prior to the playoffs to join team China. Wade was vocal about her leaving while Han Xu stayed with New York. Apparently Yueru wasn't happy about the lack of playing time.
Yueru left the team prior to the playoffs to join team China. Wade was vocal about her leaving while Han Xu stayed with New York. Apparently Yueru wasn't happy about the lack of playing time.
ok that makes more sense
well, if Wade wanted her back, she'd probably get a lot more playing time now lol
Krajišnik is more of a post and she probably wouldn't come until after Eurobasket if she was interested.
Wade might invite Anneli Maley back but she may want to look for greener pastures where there are more small forward minutes available, like L.A or Seattle.
Yeah, Chicago are in trouble. Is Meesseman going to bother with the WNBA this year? And even if she does, is Chicago appealing? I think Chicago should head for a rebuild, but then there's Copper and whether she would be up for this or not. Lots of questions and very few answers so far.
Congrats to her, but it’s really unexpected timing considering 2023 was about to be the perfect year for her to really elevate herself, in the last year of her rookie deal to set herself up for a big role & a big payday on the Sky or another team next year.
If Chicago wasn’t rebuilding before today… whew. And it’s time to start thinkin' up those Copper trade ideas.
Last Edit: Jan 31, 2023 23:33:10 GMT -5 by Deleted