Sky on verge of another huge trade after Angel Reese deal
Angel Reese is not the one WNBA star switching groups.
The Chicago Sky are in discussions with the Los Angeles Sparks to ship guard Ariel Atkins to LA for ahead Rickea Jackson, the Front Office Sports reported Thursday.
The deal is not finalized but however is predicted to be introduced Saturday when free agency opens.
Jackson simply wrapped up his second 12 months within the league, upping his scoring common to 14.7 factors whereas capturing 42.4 p.c from the ground.
In her rookie season after being drafted No. 4 total in 2024, she averaged 13.4 factors.
She’ll primarily be a alternative for Reese at ahead, after the LSU product was dealt to the Atlanta Dream for 2027 and 2028 first-round picks.
Reese was a WNBA All-Star in every of her first two seasons within the league after being her first rounder in 2024 however had a rocky relationship with the Sky after she talked about “moving in a different direction” if Chicago did not get “great players.”
“I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me,” Reese informed the Chicago Tribune. “But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
Reese will probably be troublesome to interchange for the Sky, particularly on the glass — she led the WNBA in rebounds per sport the final two seasons and averages 12 per sport for her profession.
On the flip aspect, Atkins is a powerful pickup for the Sparks. She will enter her ninth WNBA marketing campaign subsequent 12 months, spending her first seven years with Washington earlier than transferring to Chicago for the 2025 marketing campaign.
Across her profession, she’s averaging 13.4 factors, 3.0 rebounds and a couple of.6 assists per sport. Last 12 months in her lone season with the Sky, she tallied 13.1 factors per contest in 32 video games.
Both the Sky and Sparks completed under .500 final season, though Chicago’s state of affairs was way more dire.
He tied with the Dallas Wings for the worst file among the many league’s 13 groups at 10-34. Los Angeles, on the opposite hand, went 21-23, lacking the playoffs by two video games.
Maybe the Jackson-Atkins trade can spark a turnaround for both franchise.
