The Chicago Sky's decision to not re-sign Chennedy Carter was already surprising. The guard enjoyed a big 2024 season, and despite being quite underrated, WNBA teams are surely aware of her immense impact. In case any of them needed a reminder, though, Carter recently dropped 52 points in a game in China, according to Chinese Women's Hoop Show.
Carter added eight rebounds, three assists and three steals in the win. Her performance helped her team earn an 88-86 victory in a postseason contest. The Sky are moving on, but one has to imagine that Carter will have the opportunity to return to the WNBA if she wants to pursue it.
"We've been preparing really hard for this team, we know they're a great team," Carter said after the game.
She is hoping to lead her team to a deep postseason run. At the moment, Carter is focused on playing in China, but she is surely receiving WNBA interest as well.
A look back at Chennedy Carter's 2024 season
Carter was unquestionably one of the most underrated players in the WNBA during the 2024 season. The 26-year-old averaged 17.5 points per game while shooting 48.7 percent from the field. She added 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.1 steals per outing.
Carter's performance was overshadowed by Angel Reese's historic season and immense popularity. Reese became the face of the Chicago Sky. However, there is no denying the fact that Carter played a big role alongside Reese last year.
It will be intriguing to see what Carter's basketball future will look like. Again, she is only 26 years old. Carter could realistically be a player that a team decides to build around. She is capable of helping a WNBA franchise make a postseason run. Carter's potential suggests she could be a third or even second star on a championship team.
At 5'9", Carter offers both offensive and defensive prowess from the guard position. There are a number of teams around the WNBA that could use a reliable veteran guard with All-Star potential. If those teams were not interested in Carter before, her 52-point outburst certainly caught their attention.
The WNBA season does not begin until May. Carter still has plenty of time to sign with a team. With that being said, the sooner she signs the better, as that would give both Carter and the team extra time to prepare for the '25 campaign.