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Obvious Angel Reese running mate may not be the best draft choice for the Sky

Is Flau’jae Johnson the best pick for the Sky?
Jul 22, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) before the game against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images
Jul 22, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) before the game against the Minnesota Lynx at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Rempel-Imagn Images | Brad Rempel-Imagn Images

Most mock drafts have the Sky take Flau’jae Johnson with the fifth overall pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft. Bleacher Report and ESPN both predicted the match in the latest mock drafts—and for good reason. Johnson is an obvious pick for the Sky. She and Angel Reese would immediately become one of the most popular duos in the W, she can provide two-way play that the team desperately needs, and Johnson and Reese already won a national championship together at LSU. It’s very reasonable to expect the Sky to pick Johnson.

Johnson doesn’t address the Sky’s desperate need for playmaking and consistency, though, and the Sky should definitely consider going in a different direction with their pick. 

Chicago needs a point guard who can make life easier for Reese and Kamilla Cardoso and provide spacing, shot creation, and strong perimeter defense. Courtney Vandersloot is 37 and coming off a devastating injury, and Hailey Van Lith couldn’t even secure a significant role after said injury to Vandersloot in her rookie season. So, the Sky need to address that need either in free agency or in the draft. 

Fortunately, the draft offers plenty of options, depending on who the teams with picks one through four select. 

The draft is filled with strong point guards

Olivia Miles would be a great pick for the Sky. She’s one of the greatest passers entering the draft in recent memory, and her 3-point shot is much improved. While her defense is a concern, she could jumpstart the Sky’s offense around Reese and Cardoso. However, Miles isn’t likely to make it to the Sky. One of Minnesota, Seattle, and Washington will undoubtedly draft her. 

Kiki Rice, who absolutely killed it in her senior season with UCLA and knows how to set up a dominant big, is very well in the realm of possibility for the Sky, though. Rice averaged 15.3 points, 6 rebounds, 4.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game. She can attack the rim, has a solid 3-point shot, sets up her teammates well, contributes on the boards, and plays excellent defense—and she does so consistently, no matter the opponent. 

The Sky need someone who can help the team win now and who fits Reese’s timeline. Miles and Rice could be just that. The only question is whether either of them will be available when the Sky get to make their pick. If they aren’t and Johnson is, she would still be a great pick. 

Raven Johnson, Iyana Martin, and Charlisse Leger-Walker round out the top point guard prospects in this draft. Johnson has vastly improved her draft stock this season and is a certified winner, Leger-Walker is a huge reason for UCLA’s success, and Martín showed out for the Spanish national team against Team USA in Puerto Rico. Nevertheless, taking any of them in the lottery would be a gamble. 

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