WASHINGTON — The Sky’s biggest offseason move was acquiring Ariel Atkins for the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft, which the Mystics used to select Sonia Citron.
So how’s that trade looking almost halfway through the WNBA season?
Entering the teams’ game Tuesday, their numbers were nearly identical. Both were averaging about 15 points, shooting 38% from three-point range and getting to the free-throw line 3.5 times per game. (Citron had 13 points to Atkins’ 11 on Tuesday.)
Citron’s rookie season has gone better than most expected. She was named to the WNBA All-Star team as a reserve by the league’s coaches, a rare nod for a rookie. Even her coach, Sydney Johnson, said before the game he didn’t realize she was ‘‘going to be quite this good.’’
Atkins, a two-time All-Star who was not selected this season, got off to a slow start but has played more aggressively lately as she stretches into the role of go-to scorer.
General manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times that, regardless of Atkins’ scoring, he still thinks the Sky got good value from the trade because of her veteran leadership and elite habits. Those intangibles, he said, are building chemistry and helping the team’s young cornerstones, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
But the Mystics will have Citron for four years guaranteed, while the Sky will have to convince Atkins to stay beyond this season.
The Sky also gave up swap rights to their 2027 first-round pick in the deal, giving them an added incentive to finish above the Mystics in the standings. Unlike most leagues, the WNBA determines lottery odds using a two-year cumulative record.
Solidifying roles
Even with Cardoso away with the Brazilian national team, the Sky seem to be solidifying roles. Reese looks more comfortable in a playmaking spot, which is new to her at the pro level, even though she handled it plenty in college and high school. Atkins has leaned into the challenge of being a primary scorer.
But the most important shift might be at point guard. After weeks of experimenting with rotations, Rachel Banham has found her footing. A natural shooting guard, she has handled the ball well. Her assist-to-turnover ratio ranks sixth in the league among qualified players, a key stat for judging point guards. And she’s still getting her shots, making nearly 40% of her 4.7 three-point attempts per game.
‘‘I think [the key] was . . . figuring out how I can get us going in the offense but also find where I can be aggressive and help our team in the way I play,’’ Banham told the Sun-Times.
In terms of the Sky’s chemistry, Banham said the time together has made a difference.
‘‘You could say [what roles were going to be] in the beginning, but you don’t know until you see it,’’ she said.
Cardoso’s return
Cardoso and Brazil earned silver in the FIBA AmeriCup on Sunday in Chile, falling to Team USA in the championship game. She didn’t travel with the Sky to Washington, but coach Tyler Marsh said she ‘‘hopefully’’ will rejoin them for their home game Wednesday against the Wings.
