Setting expectations for 20-year-old Sky prospect Ajša Sivka

We don’t know who the Sky will land with the No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft — there are too many moving pieces between now and April. But we do know one young prospect who’s on the way: Slovenian wing Ajša Sivka.

The Sky drafted Sivka No. 10 in 2025 knowing she’d spend another season in Europe. Sivka wanted to play for her national team and finish high school, and the Sky wanted her to sharpen her ballhandling and add more athleticism.

“We’re going to try to continue to develop and see if we can have her game grow to be much more than just a shooter,” general manager Jeff Pagliocca said on draft night.

So: What should fans expect when Sivka joins in 2026?

Sivka has a silky release

The best thing about Sivka may be her release. At 6-3, she needs very little space or time to get her shot off, and she isn’t shy about firing from deep. Most of her shots in the Spanish league this season have been threes — and she’s made almost 40%. That’s against competition that’s typically tougher than what U.S. college prospects are facing right now.

“At that size … her mobility and her ability to shoot the ball and shoot as quickly as she does, there’s just not a lot of them,” Pagliocca said.

Sivka is comfortable with pretty much every type of 3-point shot. And if she’s even halfway open, she’s letting it fly. That will help the Sky, who still need to add shooters around their star bigs.

She can pass and defend wings

Though Sivka isn’t much of a rebounder for her size, she uses her height well as a passer. She finds angles for post-entry feeds, runs a good pick-and-roll, and hits the open player when she draws a crowd.

“It shows that I’m not a selfish player,” she said of her passing on draft night. “I like to have the flow of the game.”

She also already has reps defending pro-level wings. She helped slow down Mercury shooter Kitija Laksa in a recent FIBA competition, and having a 6-3 wing who can help off drives is always a plus.

She’s a role player internationally

Sivka has WNBA potential, but Sky fans should keep in mind she’s not the second coming of fellow Slovenian Luka Dončić. She’s not a star on either her Spanish club or her Slovenian national team. She’s a role player who will sink a couple of threes and slip in for a nice back cut.

Watching Spanish league competition, you can’t help but notice more razzle dazzle from her opponents.

French guard Carla Leite, a Valkyries expansion pick, slices her way through defenses. Lithuanian guard Juste Jocyte, the Valkyries’ No. 5 pick in the 2025 draft, might reasonably take over a game as a rookie. Don’t expect that from Sivka. And hats off to the Valkyries: they clearly did their EuroLeague homework.

Bottom line

Sivka will hit threes in the WNBA, and her size and pro experience are pluses. If she transitions smoothly, she could have the kind of 3-and-D impact the Sky hoped to get from Rebecca Allen last season.

Not getting the juices flowing? How about this: Sivka — coming to the W at 20 years old — gives the Sky a chance to prove that their player development really is among the best in the business. Maybe her dazzle is just waiting for coach Tyler Marsh to coax out of her.

Still nothing? Then you’re like every other Sky fan: waiting for a miracle in free agency.