Chris Marioп/NBAE via Getty Image

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese intends to do her part to bring talent to the Windy City this offseason.

The first-year forward told reporters she’s “a good GM on the low” and offered some input to Teresa Weatherspoon and general manager Jeff Pagliocca.

“Obviously players reach out and say they would love to play with me, so I just let (Pagliocca) know and he does what he wants,” Reese said, per Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune.

Despite playing in such a large market, the Sky have historically struggled to sign or even retain marquee talent.

Candace Parker was the clear exception when she returned home in 2021.

Parker left after just two seasons and the rest of Chicago’s championship-winning roster eventually followed her out the door. That was a bit of a reality check in terms of how much – or how little in this case – the Finals run shifted the general perception of the franchise.

The tide might be turning slightly.

The Sky have a promising young core with Reese, Kamilla Cardoso and Chennedy Carter. In the case of Carter, she’s a restricted free agent so re-signing her should be relatively straightforward on the heels of her breakout.

While Chicago is still a long way off returning to a title-contending level, it should be firmly in the conversation for the 2025 playoffs. More broadly, plans to construct a new dedicated practice facility by December 2025 point to a level of organizational investment that has long been lacking.

Per Her Hoop Stats, the Sky are projected to have the second-most salary cap space ($923,625) in the league. Money won’t be an issue for Pagliocca, either.

However, other factors are working against Chicago.

This isn’t a blockbuster free-agent class coming up because a few stars who were due to hit the open market re-signed with their current teams already. Some of the big names who will be theoretically available (Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum and Alyssa Thomas) don’t seem all that likely to leave, limiting the Sky’s talent pool further.

The current collective bargaining agreement casts a big shadow over the entire league, too.

Either side can opt out of the CBA after the 2025 season, and the players have every reason to exercise that option since the new media rights deal is poised to send the salary cap skyrocketing. It’s not a coincidence there are just 30 players signed to contracts for 2026, per Spotrac. Players have clearly been preparing for a salary spike and don’t want to be tied down to a below-market contract.

Because of that, the Sky and every other team will probably struggle to get agreements on deals beyond one year. That’s less than ideal for Chicago when it still has a pretty young squad and can’t realistically sell a vision of reaching the Finals in 2025.

Still, it can’t hurt for Reese to reach out directly to her peers and make a pitch on
the Sky’s behalf.