Who are Chicago Sky expected to pick WNBA Draft 2025? Best pieces to add around Angel Reese explored

The Chicago Sky were involved in one of the bigger moves of the WNBA offseason this year when they traded away the third overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft to the Washington Mystics for two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins. Even though they don't have a top pick in the draft, the Chicago Sky are one of the teams under the most pressure to hit on their draft pick as they focus on their younger talent.

Angel Reese and Co. were just two wins away from making the postseason last year and quickly became one of the league's more popular teams thanks to Reese, who broke the single-season rebounding record as well as her first All-Star selection. This offseason saw the team move on from leading scorers Chennedy Carter and Marina Mabrey as they prepare to hand the reins over to Reese.

The Chicago Sky will heavily depend on the duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso to pick up the scoring slack this season, but bringing in the right rookie could help the team come together and compete for a playoff spot in the regular season. After trading the third overall pick, the Sky will have to wait until the ninth selection before adding a player, but there is talent available to them.

We took a look at the latest mock drafts for this year's draft, and here are three players that the Chicago Sky could add to help their team return to the postseason for the first time since 2023.

Hailey Van Lith joins her former LSU teammate on the Chicago Sky

Hailey Van Lith teamed up with Angel Reese at LSU back in 2023 and throughout the season, she and Reese became close friends as they led the Tigers all the way to the Elite Eight before falling to Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes. Van Lith established herself as the Tigers' lead guard and created one of the best duos in college basketball that season with Reese.

Van Lith has improved her draft stock throughout her senior season at TCU, proving herself as a capable leader and playmaker while maintaining her scoring prowess. While she is one of the older players in this draft class, some mock drafts, including Sports Illustrated's, have her being selected somewhere in the back half of the first round.

Despite the addition of Ariel Atkins, the Sky are in need of another perimeter threat, as well as a ball handler who can make the most of a potential partnership with Reese in pick-and-rolls. Van Lith's pros, including her offensive talent as well as her experience with Reese, makes her a great fit for the Chicago Sky.

Te-Hina Paopao reunites with her former South Carolina teammate

When the South Carolina Gamecocks completed women's basketball's most recent undefeated season, a lot of praise was given to players like Raven Johnson and Kamilla Cardoso. However, the stars of the team, as well as head coach Dawn Staley made it clear that the leadership of veteran point guard Te-Hina Paopao was as big a part of the team's success as anything else.

Paopao was a steady presence in the South Carolina program since transferring there from Oregon in 2023. She quickly became one of Staley's favorites and is one of the unsung heroes of the Gamecocks teams that were one win away from back-to-back titles. The SEC guard has shown the ability to adjust her game in almost any way that her team needs, a valuable skill in the WNBA.

Kamilla Cardoso might be the less flashy member of the Chicago Sky's 2024 rookie class, but she showed flashes of dominance. Bringing in Paopao, a guard that she has a close relationship with both on and off the court, would mean a lot for Cardoso's development. Paopao, while learning from Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot, would be, to her, a familiar presence at point guard.

Chicago brings in one of the best shooters and playmakers in Georgia Amoore

This year's Kentucky Wildcats had a disappointing showing against Kansas State in the second round of the NCAA tournament, losing the game by one in overtime. However, Georgia Amoore, along with Clara Strack, had great seasons in the always competitive SEC. Amoore's season propelled her up the draft boards, and Sports Illustrated has her being selected by the Chicago Sky with the ninth pick.

While lacking the deep NCAA Tournament runs that Van Lith has under her belt, Amoore provides similar value to the former TCU guard. She is coming off a season where she was one of the better overall offensive talents, averaging 19.6 points and 6.9 assists per contest while leading the Wildcats to the 16th spot in the final AP poll of the season. However, her best skill might be her shooting.

If she is selected by the Chicago Sky, Amoore would find herself in a great scenario with an opportunity to learn from a player after whom her game is modeled after; Courtney Vandersloot. If Amoore can translate her 33.6% three-point shooting on high volume into the pros, she can provide valuable spacing for the Sky, clearing the way for Reese and Cardoso down low.