Before the season even began, Sky coach/general manager James Wade vehemently defended his free-agency moves, which signaled an obvious direction for the franchise.
By trading away five draft picks in a four-team trade for guard Marina Mabrey, Wade made clear he was prioritizing a competitive rebuild versus developing young stars. Because the WNBA’s draft order is determined by teams’ cumulative record over two seasons, there was a world in which giving up the Sky’s first-round pick in 2024 and gaining the right to swap first-round picks with Dallas in 2025 made sense.
