Sky pleased with draft picks, headed by UCLA’s Jaquez

The Chicago Sky came into the offseason hoping to right the ship. One of the organization’s first steps was finding selfless players who play with the utmost effort.

After a successful free agency, in which general manager Jeff Pagliocca said the Sky landed all its targets, Chicago started to look for fit in the 2026 WNBA Draft on Monday. The front office immediately found that with the No. 5 pick, selecting UCLA’s Gabriela Jaquez.

“At the foundation of whatever system is put in place, that’s got to be the core of it — how hard you play on a nightly basis and how you can impact the game in other ways, outside of just scoring,” Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh said Monday night following the draft.

The Sky revamped its roster in free agency, signing veterans in seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, Azurá Stevens — a 2021 WNBA Champion with Chicago — and DiJonai Carrington. The team also acquired 2024 All-Rookie Team member Rickea Jackson and Jacy Sheldon in trades.

“Going after Jaquez, going after a wing, really mattered to us because now our backcourt, there’s depth there, and wings, you can never pass up,” Pagliocca said. “It’s hard for us to pass up on a 6-foot shooter that plays hard. She could play on any team in this league, and she’s going to be perfect for us here.”

Jaquez is fresh off a national championship with the Bruins, a season in which she averaged 13.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game while earning all-Big Ten second team honors. In the national championship game against South Carolina, Jaquez scored 21 points, pulled down 10 rebounds, and dished five assists.

Marsh praised Jaquez’s ability to play in space and have an impact without needing the ball in her hands. UCLA head coach Cori Close told Marsh of Jaquez’s relentless competitiveness.

“The direction we’re going now, she fits in with us athletically, how versatile she is, how selfless she is, the culture player that she’s referred to as,” Marsh said. “She’s a high character player from a winning program.”

In the second round with the No. 21 selection, the Sky took Lasha Lattimore. The Ole Miss product, who had stops at Texas, Miami (Fla.), and Virginia beforehand, averaged 10.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks per game last season. Lattimore shot 48.2% from the floor, as she helped the Rebels reach the Round of 32.

Pagliocca said Chicago was hoping Lattimore would fall to the No. 21 pick and land in the team’s lap.

“Lattimore, a 6-foot-4, athletic shot blocker, you need to get a look at a player like that,” Pagliocca said. “This is a player that we’ve kept our eyes on for months now, and we’re thrilled she was there.”

The Sky concluded its draft by picking Tonie Morgan out of Kentucky at the No. 33 pick. The 5-foot-9 point guard is coming off a campaign in which she led the nation in assists, totaling 286. She averaged 13.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 7.8 assists per game after spending her first three collegiate seasons at Georgia Tech. She was named to the all-SEC second team last season.

Pagliocca praised Morgan’s playmaking ability and noted she can add depth to the point guard room.

In addition, Pagliocca confirmed a decision is yet to be made on whether Ajsa Sivka, Chicago’s No. 10 selection last season, will join the Sky roster this season. Sivka currently plays professionally in Spain.

With a new roster entering the 2026 season, Chicago is hoping competitiveness can be the key to success. Marsh plans to rely on his veterans to help bring success for a franchise that has missed the postseason in the past three seasons.

“The first thing that jumps off the page is the level of competitiveness that exudes in all these players,” Marsh said. “When you look at a Jacy Sheldon, when you look at a Skyler Diggins, when you look at a DiJonai, when you look at Azurá, when you look at (Courtney Vandersloot) coming back, it’s a high compete factor. And these are players who approach the game in a way that you know what you’re going to get out of them from a nightly basis in terms of effort.”