When Courtney Vandersloot went down with a torn ACL seven games into the 2025 season, the Sky had a chance to sign Odyssey Sims, who had been waived by the Sparks. Sims is a veteran point guard, a former All-Star, and a certified scorer and playmaker. The Sky didn’t sign her, and she landed with the Fever instead. Indiana needed Sims to fill in when Caitlin Clark, Aari McDonald, Sydney Colson, and Sophie Cunningham all suffered season-ending injuries.
Sims delivered, especially during the Fever’s surprising run to the semifinals. She averaged 14.1 points, 2.3 rebounds, 4.4 assists, and 1.4 steals in the playoffs. Sims was a decisive factor in all of the Fever’s wins against the Dream and Aces. If Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca had any doubts that Sims could help a winning team, she proved him wrong.
So, once again, the Sky should try to add Sims to the roster ahead of the 2026 season. They desperately need someone who can run an offense, make plays for her teammates, and score at a high level, which is exactly what Sims did for the Fever.
Chicago needs better point guard play to make the playoffs
The Sky’s big move ahead of the 2025 season was to sign Courtney Vandersloot. They obviously hoped that the veteran point guard would help Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso reach another level offensively. That never happened. Vandersloot played only 7 games before tearing her ACL, and the Sky finished with a worse record than in 2024.
A 36-year-old point guard coming off a devastating injury won’t be the key to turning the Sky into a playoff team this upcoming season either. Chicago needs to upgrade its point guard rotation. That doesn’t necessarily mean that they shouldn’t try to re-sign Vandersloot at all. But they definitely need more than just her.
Sims may not have the same championship experience, All-WNBA team selections, or playmaking pedigree that Vandersloot has, but she has proven that she can help lead a winning team.
Sims is a capable scorer, who can easily put up around 15 points a game. Chicago averaged the fewest points per game in the league last season and desperately needs someone who can just go get some buckets. Sims also averaged 3.8 assists per game over 24 regular-season games with the Sparks and Fever. She can get the ball to Reese, Cardoso, and Atkins. Moreover, Sims also has 42 playoff games under her belt.
For some inexplicable reason, Sims has struggled to land long-term contracts recently. Her performances with the Fever should earn her some more attention in free agency. Nevertheless, Sims should come with a reasonable price tag, which would leave the Sky room to potentially re-sign Atkins and upgrade the rest of the roster.
The Sky could offer Sims a big role and the opportunity to play with two young stars. At the same time, however, the Sky’s lack of facilities and reputation as one of the worst-run organizations could hurt the team’s recruiting pitch to Sims and any other free agent it’s interested in. If that is the case, landing a player like Sims is much more realistic than chasing some big-time star who would rather play for a winning team with top facilities.