Williams keeping close eye on Sky's offseason moves
Patrick Williams said he went to every Chicago Sky game he could get to last summer, usually joining teammate Javonte Green and Bulls assistant coach Maurice Cheeks.
Inside the Bulls locker room Tuesday, Coby White told Williams he actually started the current trend of supporting the Sky before Williams was drafted by the Bulls.
The championship-era Sky is breaking up. Candace Parker joined Las Vegas, free agent Courtney Vandersloot posted a goodbye to Chicago message on Instagram Tuesday and Allie Quigley may retire. There have been rumors Vandersloot plans to team up with Breanna Stewart in New York or Seattle.
Williams said he's paying close attention to what happens next with the Sky, who are expected to retain top scorer Kahleah Copper, but otherwise may be looking at a rebuild.
Teams can begin signing players Wednesday.
"I will say free agency isn't over yet, so there are chances and opportunities for them to get really good players," Williams said. "It's going to be interesting to see. I'm really glued to the 'W' news just to see what happens in free-agency. I remember last year it was really big as well. I've really been glued to that."
Parker, a Naperville native, will be 37 by opening night, but is hoping to add some experience to the defending champion Aces. She averaged 13.2 points and 8.6 rebounds last year for the Sky.
"I think she'll do really good for those young players over there," Williams said of Parker. "That was a big move. I think that team will have a big part of pushing the WNBA forward, just the media exposure that they're going to get."
Two more of the Sky's top scorers from last year are also free agents - forward Emma Meesseman and center Azura Stevens - so there's plenty to be sorted out with the new roster. After winning their first WNBA title in 2021, the Sky finished 26-10 last year, the best record in franchise history, but lost to Connecticut in the second round of the playoffs.
All-star picks pending:
NBA all-star reserves will be announced Thursday. DeMar DeRozan figures to be the only Bulls player with a chance to make it, and maybe not a great chance, considering the team's sub-. 500 record. Coach Billy Donovan put in a plug before Tuesday's game.
"Just based on the way he's performed every night, I would think he should be in the game," Donovan said.
Rising stars revealed:
The NBA released the names of 28 players selected for the Rising Stars challenge during All-Star Weekend. The list includes rookies, sophomores and G-League players, but not Bulls sophomore Ayo Dosunmu or rookie Dalen Terry.
Two former Bulls were chosen as honorary coaches of the four teams. Joakim Noah and Paul Gasol will join former Illini star Deron Williams and Jason Terry as coaches. Scotty Pippen Jr. from the South Bay Lakers was one of the G-League players chosen for the game, as was Mac McClung, who played one game with the Bulls last year and will be part of the dunk contest.
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