Chicago Sky defer opening of new practice facility again, cite updated interior plans
For the third time, the Chicago Sky set a timeline for the opening of the team’s new practice facility.
After the team’s morning shootaround Friday, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said November is the new target date for the facility’s opening. When the Sky broke ground on the Bedford Park facility in October 2024, it was projected to open before the 2026 season. Sky president and CEO Adam Fox provided an update this year that said, due to construction delays resulting from winter storms, the team would have access to the facility closer to late spring or early summer.
“(It has) of course been a pain point,” Pagliocca told The Athletic. “When you share timelines and don’t reach them, it’s frustrating for all parties. But I believe there are fair reasons to rationalize the delays.”
Pagliocca cited evolving interior plans and the expansion of the building’s size in addition to the delays Fox attributed to winter storms.
The facility, which is being built in partnership with the Village of Bedford Park, was slated to be 40,000 square feet and cost an estimated $38 million. When the team originally announced facility plans, Sky co-owner and operating chairman Nadia Rawlinson told the Chicago Sun-Times the Village was willing to “come in and put some skin in the game” but declined to share specifics of the Village’s financial contribution.
Village president David Brady outlined estimated costs during a special board meeting in January. According to public documents detailing meeting minutes, Brady said the estimated cost was $43.2 million when the Sky and the Village agreed on the latest contract and that Bedford Park would cover roughly $32 million of that. A later projection that Sky principal owner Michael Alter shared with the Village estimated the cost at roughly $45.8 million. Brady said the Sky proposed the extra $2.5 million cost be shared, with Bedford Park paying 44 percent and the Sky paying 56 percent.
The expansion brings the facility to 80,000 square feet and over $60 million, but it’s unclear where the cost breakdown currently stands.
Sky practice has been in flux all season due to construction delays. They started the season practicing at the University of Illinois Chicago, which was supposed to be a temporary arrangement before they moved into the new facility. Since training camp, the Sky have also practiced at Loyola University Chicago and Wintrust Arena, where they play home games. The team is expected to practice exclusively at Wintrust Arena for the remainder of the season; there could be one-off days, however, when they return to another facility, Pagliocca said.
Players have expressed disappointment publicly and privately to Pagliocca.
In an interview with the Sun-Times, Sky guard Skylar Diggins said, “It’s hard to perform at a certain level without those (resources).”
Sky center Elizabeth Williams told the Sun-Times: “It’s disappointing. I think on their end, it is as well, because they had expectations for us and brought us in with those expectations as well. On their end, not being able to get that done sucks.”
The All-Star Game will be played July 25 at the United Center in Chicago. The team had said it would host All Star Game-related community events at the new facility. The Obama Presidential Center will be the new hub for those events, in addition to media day and team practice.
· Annie Costabile is a Senior Writer for The Athletic covering the WNBA and women's basketball at large.