Through the first five weeks of the WNBA season, Chicago Sky fans have had one question: Why isn’t Chennedy Carter the starter?
The fourth-year guard attracted immediate attention, averaging 12.9 points and 2.3 assists in less than 20 minutes off the bench in his first 12 games. When the Sky go quiet mid-game, Carter can be counted on to re-ignite the offense by poking away errant passes and making fierce transition plays. And as the team struggled with an increasingly stagnant start, Scored 10 points in the first quarter against the Washington Mystics. – Questions abounded as Carter remained a bench player.
Coach Teresa Weatherspoon answered that call this weekend, moving Carter and guard Lindsay Allen into the starting lineup, replacing guard Dana Evans and wing Diamond DeShields for Sunday’s game against the Indiana Fever. and nevertheless Another game shut down in Indianapolis.The switch had a clear impact on Sky’s tempo from the opening whistle.
So is this new starting rotation the night the 4-9 Sky are looking for?
later Drafted by Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, the Sky are clearly building for the future based on their frontcourt. General manager Jeff Pagliocca made it clear on draft day that both players will need at least one season of development as they transition to the league and develop key parts of their games, such as perimeter shooting.
But the backcourt is another issue that goes beyond simple player development. The Sky have the worst assist percentage (16.4) and 3-point production (4.5 per game) in the league. As a result, guards often fall into static half-court offenses and have trouble consistently finding Reese and Cardoso with entry passes.
Carter’s move into the starting lineup was a promising improvement. She replicated her scoring production, powering her offense with 18 points and 4 assists. The Sky also benefited from the presence of Allen, who stabilized the offense at point guard despite poor performances from both rookies.
But the Fever’s loss highlighted why giving Carter more minutes is not the final answer. Despite his consistent scoring, Carter has limitations. She averages 0.5 attempts per game from behind the arc (lowest among guards) and attempts no 3s. And moving the 5-foot-9 Carter to the wing would significantly reduce the height of the starting unit, automatically creating mismatches in numerous defensive matchups.
Despite this week’s changes, rotation alone is not enough to completely overhaul position groups. Even after shuffling the roster spots, the Sky are still missing a few starting quality pieces like a point guard or long wing. That means Weatherspoon and Pagliocca will have to dig deeper to find solutions this year and in the offseason.
Until anyone starts campaigning for the Sky to address their guard issues by tanking to snag Paige Bueckers in the 2025 draft, that’s not an option. The Sky have already agreed to a first-round pick swap with the Dallas Wings. This means they have no chance of acquiring the top pick outside of a blockbuster trade.
So how can the Sky improve their backcourt?
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Facilitation is an important issue. The Sky’s best guards, Carter and Marina Mabrey, are at their best without the ball. Carter is lethal in transition and Mabrey has shown plenty of looks, including post-ups to create shooting opportunities. However, neither player is expected to act as their teammate’s primary distributor.
The Sky haven’t had a natural point guard since Courtney Vandersloot left after the 2022 season. Evans was scheduled to take on this role after waiting for his chance for three seasons, but was unable to secure the starting position for the second straight season this season. Last year, former head coach James Wade decided to convert Courtney Williams to point guard mid-season instead of playing Evans as the starter. This season, Weatherspoon gave Evans 12 games in the starting gig before replacing him with Allen.
True point guards are a slowly disappearing aspect of WNBA offenses, as many teams rely on hybrid guards. For example, the Connecticut Sun runs their backcourt by committee with forward DeWanna Bonner providing healthy ball progression and distribution. However, Sky currently lacks the size and shooting variety to compete in this style of play.
The rest of the backcourt lacks one of two qualities: size or shooting. DeShields provides the length and defensive insight the Sky crave on the perimeter, though. A nagging injury continues to limit her Scores and Availability. Players like Allen similarly struggle with offensive production, while the size disadvantages of Evans and Carter undermine their ability to share the court.
Sunday’s improvements demonstrated a clear formula for how to build success in the Sky backcourt. It’s about improving the way you distribute the ball in the paint, letting the bigs work, and taking advantage of spray outs and catch-and-shoot opportunities from behind the arc. follow. However, the flaws are too great to be corrected through a few adjustments during the season.
The next priority is simple, as the front office aims to build around Cardoso and Reese. It’s about giving this frontcourt duo the backcourt balance they need to start building a winning season.
