The Sky will have to play some defense down the stretch. They haven’t done much of it in a literal sense, sitting near the bottom of most defensive categories in the WNBA, but they’ll need to show some in a figurative sense.
Their main objective this season — making the playoffs — is finished. But they can’t just coast the rest of the way because their results affect their future.
The reason is because of draft-lottery odds. The Sky owe the Mystics a 2027 pick swap. That’s the same year college stars such as JuJu Watkins and Hannah Hidalgo potentially might enter the league. And, unlike most leagues, the WNBA sets lottery odds using the combined records of the previous two seasons.
That means the 2027 odds hinge on this season and next. The more the Sky lose now, the more likely will they finish behind the Mystics — who are 16-19 compared with their 8-26 — and ship them a better shot at one of those top talents. So defense for the rest of the season means winning games to protect against that.
The 2026 draft odds also matter because the Sky owe their pick to the Lynx, though the bottom teams mostly have sealed their fate already.
The Wings have the worst two-year record at 18-57. That puts them on pace for a 40% chance at the top pick. The Sky are next at 21-53, which gives them a 25% chance at drawing No. 1.
But there’s a nightmare scenario in which the Wings finish strong and the Sky keep struggling. Suddenly, the Sky would have the worst two-year mark and the best odds at the No. 1 pick — just in time to send it to the Lynx, the WNBA’s best team.
For the good of their future — and the WNBA’s — the Sky must finish with fight.
Season lessons for Marsh
Head coach Tyler Marsh’s first season hasn’t gone how he had hoped, but he’s learning about himself as a leader. Two areas stand out: delegating and blocking out the noise.
He always has been hands-on. His mindset? If you want it done right, do it yourself. Now he’s learning to trust his staff.
He’s also learning to shut out the noise.
‘‘Being able to shield any negativity [from seeping] into what we have going on,’’ Marsh said. ‘‘That’s a huge part of today’s society and sports world.’’’
CBA negotiations continue
The last major meeting between the players and the WNBA took place during All-Star weekend. The sides left far apart.
Since then, union president Nneka Ogwumike told the Sun-Times the conversation is ‘‘evolving.’’
‘‘All-Star [weekend] was the real starting point, only because of how long it took for their response to our proposal to come back,’’ Ogwumike said. ‘‘Us being able to have a couple of meetings since then, you can kind of get a grasp on where we’re at and what we need to do to move forward in the negotiations.’’
Salaries remain the sticking point. Nail that down, she said, and the rest can follow.