A superstar isn’t likely, but Chicago Sky can find help in Monday’s WNBA draft

On Monday the Chicago Sky doubled down on its rebuild efforts by dealing franchise cornerstone Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for two first-round picks, in 2027 and 2028.

That makes this coming Monday all the more important for Chicago, which holds the No. 5, No. 21 and No. 32 picks in the 2026 WNBA draft.

“Two years ago, the draft class was incredible,” ESPN’s Ryan Ruocco said on a Zoom meeting with media Friday. “Last year there was a lot of impactful rookies. I think this year, maybe you don’t have the same tippy top-tier stars like you had a couple years ago or you’re going to have next year, but you have a lot of really good players that I think are going to make an impact right away.”

Coming off a 10-win season and trading last season’s leading scorer in Reese, the Sky’s draft class is set to become key pieces in a rebuild that the franchise hopes will return it to its 2021 heights, when it won the WNBA Finals.

Ruocco said the Dallas Wings, picking first, should be less worried about drafting for fit and view the roster as a “blank slate” since it is “not one piece away from winning a championship.”

“The No. 1 criteria has to be who is the best basketball player. Period, the end,” Ruocco said.

Chicago should likely follow the same logic. Kamilla Cardoso, the No. 3 selection in the 2024 WNBA draft, proves central for the Sky after averaging 13.6 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.2 blocks a game. Chicago also extended a core qualifying offer to Ariel Atkins, who posted 13.1 points, 3.4 rebounds and 3.6 assists a game last season.

USA Today and The Athletic project the Sky to select UCLA guard Kiki Rice with the No. 5 selection, while ESPN mocks LSU guard Flau'jae Johnson to Chicago.

Johnson, a 2023 national champion and two-time All-American, saw her per game averages drop in her senior season, but ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo isn’t worried about her draft stock.

“She’s showing all the other areas of her game that have improved,” Lobo said. “She’s showing she can play with elite talent around her. She’s a better distributor, she’s a better defender. I think sometimes from the outside people can get lost in the points per game or certain numbers being down, not understanding that the role for that player and what she needs to do to help her team win has changed because of the personnel around her.”

The 2026 WNBA draft begins at 6 p.m. Monday, with the Sky looking to add key players in its result.