When Jeff Pagliocca sent the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft to the Mystics for Ariel Atkins, he had both a need and a vision.
He needed a dynamic guard who could create on offense. And his vision was that Atkins, entering her prime at 28, could become a top-10 player in the WNBA.
“There’s gonna be times we ask her to go into alpha mode,” Pagliocca said during training camp.
The Sky could’ve used an alpha Tuesday against the Mystics at Wintrust Arena. After building a 16-point lead in the first half, they scored just 28 points in the second half and fell 79-72. Turnovers were again a problem, with the Mystics scoring 40 points off them.
“We got pretty comfortable,” Angel Reese said. “We got super lax going into that third quarter. We had 20 great minutes and then maybe five more and that was it from us.”
Atkins, who played efficiently in the first half when the Sky were dominating the paint, faded late. She took just two shots in the fourth quarter — both desperation heaves with time running out.
“I think I’ve been passive for a really long time,” Atkins said before the game. “I think the coaches here are asking me to tap into something that I 100% can do. I’m getting there.”
Atkins already has had an impressive career that includes five All-Defensive team selections, three All-Star nods and an Olympic gold medal. But this might be the most she ever has been asked to score.
In Washington, she was always a co-star. This season, there was a stretch at the end of May when she looked like she might be trending toward superstar territory, averaging 21.3 points in three games. But in three other games, she scored fewer than 10 points.
Few would question Atkins’ excellence. But the trade was controversial because of how much draft capital the Sky gave up to get her — especially for a team still far from contending.
What has made it even more controversial is the season that Sonia Citron, the Mystics’ No. 3 pick, is having.
Entering Tuesday, Citron was averaging 13.4 points on 47.2% shooting. Atkins was averaging 12.9 points on 42.5%.
On Tuesday, their box scores looked strikingly similar. Citron finished with 13 points, nine rebounds and three steals. Atkins posted 10 points, seven assists and two steals.
That there’s debate over who will become the better player is expected in a trade involving a lottery pick. That there’s debate about who’s more productive right now — just a few months into the season — is unusual.
Still, Pagliocca believes the value goes beyond the stat sheet.
“Our culture means more to us than anything else,” he said. “Obviously winning will trump that, but without a strong locker room, culture and practice habits — like, who are you?”
Atkins, a WNBA champion, is already influencing younger teammates with the level of detail she brings to her preparation. Even if Citron is having the better season, Atkins has a more complete body of work. And the Sky believe that experience matters.
In the end, the trade might come down to one word: control.
Pagliocca has expressed hesitation about building solely through the draft because you can’t control who will be available. But once a player is drafted, you control their rights for four years and can build around them.
Citron, according to Mystics coach Sydney Johnson, will be a long-term building block in Washington. Pagliocca will still have to convince Atkins to remain in Chicago beyond this season.
And for Atkins to stick around long-term, winning will likely matter most.