Sky agree to contract with Kia Nurse in WNBA free agency

The Chicago Sky are remaining busy in free agency with the signing of another starting guard. The franchise already turned heads by bringing back franchise legend Courtney Vandersloot, who is coming off a WNBA championship. Now, the Sky are continuing the trend of building around their young stars, Angel Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, and Chennedy Carter.

According to ESPN WNBA reporter Alexa Philippou, Los Angeles Sparks starting shooting guard Kia Nurse is signing a one-year deal with the franchise. The seventh-year player out of UConn has been a steady rotation piece for several teams throughout her career.

The Chicago Sky are looking to take a major step up in 2025

Chicago’s five-year playoff streak was broken last year with its very young roster. The Sky ended 2024 with a record of 13-27 and tenth overall. Despite this group’s underwhelming finish, there were many bright spots throughout the year. In particular, the rookie frontcourt of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese showed that they will be a force to be reckoned with going forward.

Reese was a massive standout after an incredible college career. The No. 7 overall pick broke the WNBA record for most rebounds in a season. “Bayou Barbie” averaged a double-double and was named to the 2024 WNBA All-Star Team. Cardoso, who similarly had a decorated collegiate stint, put up 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds on an efficient 52.1% of the field.

With the addition of Courtney Vandersloot, both rookies will find scoring much easier this coming season. The Sky legend has led the WNBA in assists seven times and is exactly the kind of floor general who will get the best out of Cardoso and Reese. Kia Nurse is an efficient three-point shooter who, at 6’0″, will provide the Sky with elite wing defense as they try to climb back up the WNBA ladder.

Overall, the future of the Chicago Sky is bright. This franchise has seen a lot of success over the years, including recently winning the WNBA championship in 2021. Almost all of those players are gone. However, the 2025 squad will be a great litmus test for how far this core group of players is from contending again. One thing for sure is that the front office would not add players like Kia Nurse and Courtney Vandersloot if they didn’t think this team could be a serious problem this upcoming year.