Chennedy Carter Leaves Chicago With “Bittersweet” Feeling for a New Chapter

During the Chicago Sky exit interviews, Chennedy Carter left the door open for a return to the franchise. The 25-year-old shooting guard had an impressive stint after sitting out the entire 2023 WNBA season without a team. She is now set to enter restricted free agency, and her WNBA future is uncertain, with the Sky possibly undergoing roster changes in the off-season. So, what’s next for Carter?

Ideally, it would make sense for Chicago and Carter to be reunited for the next season. Carter averaged 17.5 points, 3.1 assists, and 1.1 steals while shooting 48.7% from the field this season and was one of the few bright lights for the team that finished the season with a 13-27 record and failed to qualify for the playoffs for the first time since 2018.

GM Jeff Pagliocca also praised Carter and mentioned that they will “keep an eye” on her. But for now, there is no final word on her Chicago future, and she is already looking forward to a new chapter in her career.

“Leaving Chicago today 🩵✈️ it’s bittersweet,” Carter posted on Threads on Sunday as she leaves for China to join the Wuhan Shengfan (WCBA). Shengfan signed her in September of this year. And this isn’t a new territory for her. The 25-year-old had previously played for the Heilongjiang Dragons in 2023, and it looks like her performances have earned her a spot with the Chinese team.

The “bittersweet” message could mean the end of the road for her run with Chicago Sky, or it could be a reference to her foot injury that caused her to miss four games. It could also point to the disappointment of missing out on the playoffs. Nonetheless, this marks the closing of one chapter and the beginning of a new one at least for the time being. Interestingly, she will be joined by Kamilla Cardoso in the Chinese league.

While Carter hasn’t completely committed to the Sky, during her exit interview, she made it clear that she will be looking to re-sign with the franchise. “My main goal is always just to be somewhere I’m wanted. I love being here. I enjoyed the season. It was fun. It was special. If Chicago wants me back, I’m interested in coming back.” Sky still have the right to match any offer that any team makes for Carter, and going by the words of GM Pagliocca, they might be interested in acquiring her services again.

“She was very valuable. Obviously she’s a player that can impact the game at the highest level in this league. She’s a player we’re going to make sure we keep an eye on and engage when it’s time,” Pagliocca enunciated.

For Carter, the goodbye to Chicago would have been difficult, since it was here her career found a new lease of life. She was the No. 4 pick in the 2020 WNBA draft by the Atlanta Dreama and shone with them. She averaged 17.4 points in 16 games and became the youngest player in league history to score 30 points. She also finished second in Rookie of the Year voting and was named to the All-Rookie Team. However, things went downhill from there.

In her second season, Carter played in only 11 games before the franchise suspended her in July 2021 for poor conduct. She was then traded to the Los Angeles Sparks, where she started only two of the 24 games she played in 2022. After being waived off in March of next year, she spent 2023 without a team.

But then Chicago Sky came to the rescue signing her to a training contract, and she eventually signed a one-year $76,535 contract with the franchise. Her performances earned her praise, and her bond with Teresa Weatherspoon proved to be beneficial for the team. Her impact on the team was highlighted when she returned after a four-game absence and helped Sky snap a seven-game losing streak. Carter ended the game with 15 points, nine rebounds, and seven assists in a 92-78 win over the Sparks at Wintrust Arena on September 6.

But now she is a free agent again, and Weatherspoon has been let go by Chicago? Will that affect her decision to rejoin in case Sky pursues her again? Not only this, but the franchise could be undergoing an overhaul with five players in free agency.

Chicago Sky could be rebuilding a new team with a new coach

Weatherspoon’s firing means Sky is on the lookout for a fourth HC in three years. Moreover, other than Carter, five more Sky players will enter free agency this year, namely Isabelle Harrison, Brianna Turner, Diamond DeShields, Michaela Onyenwere, and Dana Evans. While there are rumors that Evans might not want to play with the same team after spending four years with them, DeShields might not get a chance to ply her trade for the Sky once again after a mostly disappointing performance for the franchise.

Though Turner and Harrison were backups for the Sky at the time, they shouldn’t feel the urgency to re-sign any of them. Hence, the only player who can potentially make it to the Windy City franchise once again is Onyenwere. While Onyenwere did not get many games in the first half of the season, she became an important player once the Olympics break was over. The Sky forward played 34 games and started in 18 of them, proving her mettle as a playmaker and as a defender.

It remains to be seen if they will be able to retain their players after they failed in their chance to rebuild with Weatherspoon and Khaleah Copper. Chennedy Carter, of course, is an obvious choice for the spectators, but only time will speak.