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The Chicago Sky reportedly refused to give Chennedy Carter a qualifying offer, making her an unrestricted free agent starting Jan. 21. Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca already sent one each to Dana Evans, Michaela Onyenwere and Nikolina Milic, per the Chicago Sun-Times. Chicago can match any offer for its restricted free agents but allowed Carter to go.
The Sun-Times’ Annie Costabile wrote about why Pagliocca did not want to retain Chicago’s leading scorer last season:
“According to multiple league sources, players were unhappy with the dynamic created in the locker room last year due to Carter’s behavior, which went unchecked by former coach Teresa Weatherspoon. There was concern within the team regarding how re-signing Carter would impact the Sky’s chances of landing other free agents.”
Under Weatherspoon, Chennedy Carter formed a big part of Chicago’s identity that was labeled “dirty” by many. Carter’s body check against Caitlin Clark early in the season while Angel Reese cheered her on from the sidelines promptly set the tone for Chicago.
Weatherspoon released a statement a few days after the game, calling it a “heat of the moment” play. Carter remained defiant and said she had “no regrets” for the hit.
The Sky drafted Kamilla Cardoso and Reese, the No. 3 and No. 7 picks last year, respectively, but failed to reach the playoffs. They finished the season with a 13-27 record, worse than the 18-22 win-loss mark in 2023 when they embraced a full rebuild. Chicago fired Weatherspoon and refused to give Carter a qualifying offer.
Jeff Pagliocca replaced her with Tyler Marsh. In the report, Pagliocca claimed that he wanted the team construction to be a collaboration with the coach. The Costabile summarized that the refusal to extend Carter had to have been a “joint decision.”
Chicago Sky need a boost on offense and defense after allowing Chennedy Carter to go
Per Spotrac, the Chicago Sky only has six remaining players before free agency gets in full swing. Only Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso remain among the team’s top five scorers.
To compete for a playoff spot next season, Pagliocca will need to reinforce both sides of the floor. Chennedy Carter’s loss could prove to be significant. She led the team in scoring and was easily their best perimeter defender.
There are unrestricted free agents that Pagliocca could be looking at to bolster the roster. Nneka Ogwumike, DeWanna Bonner, Brionna Jones, Brittney Griner and Courtney Vandersloot are notable names to watch out for. Also Read: “Chennedy Carter you are a Seattle Storm!” – WNBA fans erupt over Chicago Sky not extending qualifying offer to 17.5 PPG point guard The Chicago Sky could also try to lure stars who are restricted free agents. Kelsey Mitchell, Satou Sabally, Kelsey Plum and others could be worth going after.
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Edited by Veer Badani
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