Kahleah Copper’s trade request in February left the Sky in a precarious place.
Sure, general manager Jeff Pagliocca was able to regain draft capital and acquired Brianna Turner and Michaela Onyenwere, however nothing gained could replace the best athletic two-way wing in the WNBA. That is until Pagliocca and coach Teresa Weatherspoon made the quiet decision to sign guard Chennedy Carter to a training-camp contract.
At the time, questions surrounded why Pagliocca and Weatherspoon would take a risk on Carter in their first year as a coach/general manager tandem. Carter missed the 2023 season after being waived by the Sparks and before that she was suspended indefinitely by the Dream for “conduct detrimental to the team.”
Where others saw concerns, the Sky saw potential. In 24 games, Carter has proven to be the engine propelling the Sky in their bid for their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. She’s not surprised in the slightest.
“Without a doubt,” Carter replied when asked if being the Sky’s leading scorer was what she envisioned when she signed her contract. “I knew before anybody knew what I was capable of and what I was going to do this year. It was just a matter of me being patient enough to stay down til I came back up and waiting for an opportunity to present itself.”
Carter solidified a spot on the Sky’s roster almost immediately with her preseason performance. In 12 games since being named a starter, Carter is averaging 21.4 points with two 30-plus point performances.
“You have to know the story to understand why I say how special [Carter’s season] is,” Weatherspoon said. “For someone to feel so excluded, so out and she uses the words all the time, not valued. To see her so happy, having fun with her teammates and neighbors and then what she brings between those four lines, it’s unreal.”
Carter doesn’t shy away from the tribulations of her early years in the WNBA.
She has spoken at length this season about how her year away from the WNBA allowed her to grow on and off the court. Still, there’s a competitive edge to Carter that won’t ever be tamed.
The difference for her now is that she’s in an environment where she feels supported, which has, in turn, allowed that edge to be honed and used for success. Take for example Carter’s 33-point performance against the Storm on July 5 and her 34-point showing against the Aces on July 16.
In both games, she led the Sky to convincing wins over two championship-contending opponents. After the Sky’s victory against the Storm, Seattle coach Noelle Quinn commended her ability to “get to the penthouse,” despite defender’s best efforts to keep her out of the paint.
Her quick first step which she uses to pick apart gaps is the reason.
“She’s smart,” Weatherspoon said. “She knows how to use her gears. When you know how to use your gears you know how to lull someone to sleep to get to where you want to get to.”
Since becoming a starter, Carter is fourth in the league in points per game behind two-time MVP A’ja Wilson, Copper and Sabrina Ionescu, but she’s more efficient than the latter two. The Sky open the second half of the season against Copper and the Mercury on Aug. 15, which will give fans an opportunity to clarify who truly has the quickest first step in the league.
Carter said she hasn’t discussed her future beyond 2024 with Pagliocca or Weatherspoon. When asked about the Sky’s efforts to ensure Carter remains with the team longterm, Weatherspoon deflected saying that’s the business of the front office.
She did, however, make her feelings on the matter clear.
“I know what I like,” Weatherspoon said.
