The Chicago Sky finished the team's second preseason game Wednesday night, a 87-78 loss to the Atlanta Dream. The Dream were expected to come out strong against the Sky, but many Chicago fans had hoped the team's new roster would show promise of things to come.
In some ways, the team did. The Sky rebuild is going to take time, something that's always been true. Last season's record wasn't entirely the fault of coach Tyler Marsh, and it's also not entirely clear that the Sky is necessarily planning to have a winning season this season. Despite some big free agency transcations that brought a seriously talented group of athletes to the roster, the team's young core is still developing, and there's emphasis on sticking with that core to see what they'll turn into within a few years.
But... it's not entirely clear that the Sky aren't planning on winning now. The team's roster is also stronger than last year's. The Sky played most of the 2025 season without a point guard on the floor, something that isn't true this season. The Sky might not dominate the WNBA this year, but they're also likely to at least do better than they did in 2025.
But if the Sky spends the first part of the 2026 season losing, it'll be increasingly difficult for Marsh and GM Jeff Pagliocca to navigate this year with the goodwill of fans behind them. The duo were already tasked with navigating a 2025 season that ended with fans disappointed and Angel Reese ready to leave, and it's unclear how forgiving the organization will be if more of the same happens again.
The potential fallout from another losing season is significant. It's tough on an entire organization when a team can't seem to find a way to win, especially after spending as much money as the Sky did during free agency. Someone will end up having to answer a lot of questions if this season doesn't go the way the team is hoping it will, and that someone could be all the way at the top.
Still, there's plenty of time to turn things around, and preseason games don't typically offer that much insight into how a team will perform at the beginning of the season, let alone who will be in playoffs contention toward its end. The Sky have a long time to work with the tremendously talented players they have on the team, and to really figure things out.
Add us as a preferred source on Google