The Chicago Sky erased the last mistake of the James Wade era on Wednesday, trading Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson, a 2025 first-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2026. The Sky also sent their 2025 second-round pick to the Sun.
Midseason trades before the Aug. 20 deadline are rare in the WNBA, but the Sky have begun to move with more urgency since hiring coach Teresa Weatherspoon and general manager Jeff Pagliocca last fall.
The Mabrey trade marks a dramatic shift for the Sky, who had previously positioned the guard as the centerpiece of their offensive future. Mabrey began the season as the Sky’s leading scorer and made 46 percent of the league’s worst three-point shooting team.
So why would the Sky trade one of their most prolific players just when they’re starting to have some wiggle room for a playoff spot?
In the short term, Banham should help offset the loss of Mabrey from behind the three-point arc, where Mabrey averaged 1.1 percentage points on 34.8 percent shooting this season. But this isn’t a trade that’s simply about improving the Sky this season. It reflects a focus on the future of the team, which is recalibrating with starting bigs Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese as its center of gravity.
Mabrey is in the second season of a three-year, $620,000 contract that has been the Sky’s heaviest hit since last year’s sign-and-trade. It was the latest setback in a dismal year for Wade, the former coach and general manager who drained the Sky’s coffers of draft picks to acquire Mabrey, then signed her to a big contract in hopes she would become a franchise-leading scorer in Chicago.
While Mabrey improved his scoring last season, his 15 points per game and 39 percent shooting from three-point range weren’t enough to offset the offense’s other weaknesses. And his shooting decline this season only underscored the gamble Wade took.
When Weatherspoon briefly benched Mabrey during crucial minutes earlier this month, it underscored the disparity between Mabrey’s contract and his perceived on-field value.
The Sky are already on the mend after that trade. Pagliocca has gradually reclaimed draft positions through trades, including the Nos. 3 and 7 picks used to select Cardoso and Reese this year. Mabrey’s move to Connecticut is the latest step in freeing themselves from that mistake.
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This trade isn’t likely to help the Sky prepare for the playoffs after the Olympic break. Banham is shooting more efficiently this season, albeit at a lower volume, and Mabrey has proven himself throughout his career behind the arc — and has been a team leader even during his shooting slumps.
But the Sky are in a period of growth that makes short-term results less crucial. If they make the playoffs (they are three games ahead of the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final spot), it would provide an interesting opportunity for young players like Reese, Cardoso and Chennedy Carter to get their first playoff experience.
Otherwise, the Sky would get a lottery pick next year – and now they can approach future drafts with their losses largely recovered.
Originally published:
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