Grading the Chicago Sky moves on Saturday, adding Skylar Diggins and more
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The Chicago Sky got on the board in WNBA free agency.
After a handful of blockbuster moves to start on Friday, the Sky made three big moves of their own before Saturday afternoon:
- Signed Skylar Diggins
- Signed Azura Stevens
- Traded for Jacy Sheldon.
- Re-signed Rachel Banham
Here's how we graded each of the Chicago Sky's transactions on Saturday, which reshaped the team's roster.
Rachel Banham re-signs with the Sky
The Sky have brought guard Rachel Banham back into the fold. She joined the team in 2024 in a trade that sent Marina Mabrey to the Connecticut Sun, and averaged nine points per game in 2025.
Banham started games for the injury-riddled Sky last year, and was a good locker room piece.
When the Sky were mired in a losing streak, she faced the media and answered questions for the team. Banham is a player with accountability and is entering her 10th year in the league. That's good experience for the locker room and she fits what the Sky want to do on the perimeter as a sharpshooter off the bench.
Grade: B
Chicago Sky sign 7-time All-Star Skylar Diggins
The Sky have a new ball handler, and it’s a player the Sky tried to land two offseasons ago.
Skylar Diggins, the former Seattle, Mercury and Dallas guard who is a Notre Dame alum, signed with Chicago, the team announced.
"Skylar is a player we have coveted for years. We are ecstatic to bring her to Chicago," General Manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a statement. "She is one of the all-time elite passers in our game and continues to play at a high level on both sides of the ball."
Diggins is a productive player. She’s Dallas’ all-time leader in assists per game with 4.9 dimes per game. She’s fifth on Seattle’s all-time assists leaderboard after just two seasons with the Storm. She’s also sixth all time in league history with 5.3 assists per game.
She’s a four-time All-WNBA First Team honoree and made the All-WNBA Second Team twice.
Diggins is also one of the most competitive players in the league. She’ll bring a different type of attitude to the Sky locker room that will help a second-year coach, second-year guard Hailey Van Lith and lift the expectations of a team that wanted to win but struggled to sustain success in 2025.
"Diggins is the kind of player who elevates everyone around her," Head Coach Tyler Marsh said in a statement. "Skylar is a true veteran leader, and she possesses unmatched speed and shot creation potential. I can’t wait to work with her."
This is the move you make when you want to win games. Diggins isn’t just productive, she’s a winner. She won in college and she instantly made teams in the WNBA better.
Phoenix went on a run to the WNBA Finals with Diggins running the point. Seattle won more than 20 games in each of its two seasons with Diggins. That player is coming to the Sky.
Grade: A
Sky trade for guard Jacy Sheldon
It might be fair to assume a change of scenery was in order for Sheldon, but this will be her fourth team in just her third year in the league.
Originally fifth overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by Dallas, Sheldon has played for Dallas, Connecticut and Washington. The Mystics acquired Sheldon at the 2025 WNBA trade deadline for Aaliyah Edward and Sheldon appeared in two games there.
"Jacy made an impression on us with her toughness, competitiveness and ability to compete on both ends of the court," Pagliocca said in a statement. "She has proven to be a great young player who can shoot the ball and defend in this league. Jacy fits what we are looking for seamlessly."
Sheldon does fit a need for the Sky. She’s shot 35 percent from 3-point range in her WNBA career and 35 percent from 3-point range at Ohio State. The Sky were one of the worst teams in the league in 3-point shooting last season.
However, it’s tough to see the Sky part with a first-round pick for a player that’s struggled to keep a roster spot on a team.
That first-round pick in 2028 will be a draft that includes Mikayla Blakes, Joyce Edwards and Sarah Strong. The Sky had two picks in the first round of that draft after the Angel Reese trade, but now have just the one in Atlanta’s first rounder.
This is a risk that fills a need and could pay off, but it depends on what else the Sky have in store.
Grade: C
Azura Stevens returns to Chicago
Welcome back, Big Z and Franklin.
Azura Stevens, one of the key pieces of the Sky’s 2021 WNBA title, returns to Chicago after a stint in Los Angeles.
"I’m truly excited to be coming home to join the Chicago Sky," Stevens said in a statement. "This city means everything to me. The culture, the people, the passion for the game. To have the opportunity to come back to Chicago is amazing. I’m ready to get to work, embrace the moment, and give everything I have. Let’s work."
This move answers the question of "who will play the four?" After trading Angel Reese, the Sky get a defensive anchor in the post next to Kamilla Cardoso.
"We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring back Azurá, a pivotal part of our championship team," Pagliocca said. "Stevens brings a versatile element to our frontcourt as a shooter and shot blocker that we’re confident will pair nicely with the players we have under contract."
In getting Stevens, the Sky add a player that fits what Marsh wants to do offensively. That’s shoot 3-pointers and spread defenses out.
Stevens finished second in the WNBA’s Most Improved Player voting last season, averaging 12.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.1 blocks per game. She also shot 47.8% from the field and 38.1% from three with an average of 4.4 attempts per game.
This move helps the Sky immediately improve defensively and improve offensively in terms of how the team can space the ball. Stevens is well-liked in Chicago and across the league, too.
Grade: B