Chicago Sky in WNBA free agency: Courtney Williams and Isabelle Harrison are in — but much of the championship core is gone

WNBA free agency officially opened Wednesday — and the Chicago Sky could be an entirely different team very soon.

Here’s what you need to know about departures, additions, front-office news and much more. Get the latest news here and sign up for our free alerts.

How did the Sky fare last season?

After winning the 2021 WNBA championship, much of the Sky’s core re-signed on one-year deals as they looked to become the first back-to-back champions since the Lisa Leslie-led Sparks in 2001-02.

Though they started the season with a loss in overtime, the Sky went on to franchise-best 26-10 record and the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Sky defeated the New York Liberty 2-1 in the first round but fell to the Connecticut Sun in the semifinals in five games.

Courtney Williams joins the fray

Courtney Williams on Thursday announced her signing with the Chicago Sky on Twitter — like many other free agents, including Courtney Vandersloot.

Williams’ addition brings much-needed guard depth to the Sky to support Kahleah Copper and third-year player Dana Evans. A seven-year veteran, Williams spent four of the last six seasons playing for the Connecticut Sun, with a two-season stint in Atlanta in 2020 and 2021.

Although she has excelled as a scorer, Williams took on a facilitating role last season for the Sun, averaging 11.1 points and 3.3 assists.

Sky fans will remember Williams best from battles in the playoffs — especially last season, when a brief scuffle with Copper for a loose ball resulted in the pair locking up on the court and refusing to let go until they were separated by multiple teammates and referees.

That moment encapsulates why the Williams pickup is such a high risk-reward decision for the Sky. Williams is a talented guard with an eye for the court and a ferocious appetite for competition. Her disruptive ability on defense fits in to the run-and-gun identity of recent Sky teams.

If Williams can mesh with Copper, the duo will be a danger to opposing defenses.

Isabelle Harrison buoys gutted frontcourt

Former Dallas Wings forward Isabelle Harrison on Thursday evening announced on Twitter her intention to sign with the Sky.

Although Harrison will bring veteran experience in her seventh season, she isn’t an immediate stopgap for a Sky frontcourt reeling from the losses of Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens.

Harrison started 29 games for the Wings in 2019 but suffered ankle injuries that sidelined her for most of the 2020 season and has not been a consistent starter since. She averaged 8.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 18.4 minutes last season.

Allie Quigley takes a year off

Quigley won’t retire just yet, according to ESPN’s Holly Rowe, but she will sit out the 2023 season. With Quigley on the sidelines, the Sky will enter the 2023 season without any of the veteran core that powered them to the 2021 WNBA championship.

Quigley re-signed with the Sky on a one-year deal in 2022 with hopes of the team defending its WNBA championship. The 36-year-old guard’s career includes three All-Star selections (2017-19), two Sixth Woman of the Year awards (2014-15) and the top spot on the Sky’s all-time scoring list.

During the 2022 WNBA All-Star weekend in Chicago, Quigley won the 3-point contest for the fourth time (also 2017, ‘18 and ‘21), setting a league record. She also set a record in 2018 for most shots made in an All-Star 3-point competition across both the NBA and WNBA, sinking 20 of 25 shots for 29 points.

Originally drafted by the Storm at No. 22 in 2008, Quigley was waived, then signed with the Phoenix Mercury. The former DePaul star also had stints with the Indiana Fever, San Antonio Silver Stars (now Las Vegas Aces) and Storm before landing in Chicago in 2013.

In addition to her WNBA career, Quigley has played basketball internationally in Hungary, Russia, Turkey, Poland and Italy. In 2018, she married teammate Courtney Vandersloot.

Candace Parker and Courtney Vandersloot say goodbye

Candace Parker chose to leave the Sky for the same reason she joined the team in 2021 — to go home.

The Naperville native and two-time WNBA champion on Saturday announced her decision to sign with the Las Vegas Aces as a free agent. In an Instagram post, she cited her family as her primary reason for returning closer to the West Coast.

When Parker came home to Chicago in 2021 after spending the first 13 seasons of her career with the Los Angeles Sparks, she unlocked the final piece of a championship puzzle alongside Courtney Vandersloot, Allie Quigley and Kahleah Copper. After leading a 16-16 team to an unlikely WNBA title in 2021 — the first in franchise history — Parker helped the Sky win a franchise-record 26 games in 2022 before losing in the league semifinals.

Parker made back-to-back All-Star Game appearances in her two seasons with the Sky, the sixth and seventh selections for the two-time WNBA MVP.

Four-time All-Star and longtime Sky captain Courtney Vandersloot announced Tuesday evening that she also won’t return to Chicago for the 2023 season.

Nicknamed “The Floor General,” Vandersloot was drafted with the third pick in 2011 by the Sky. She had spent her entire WNBA career in Chicago, becoming a fan favorite and fixture of the team over the years.

A 4-time All-Star (2011, 2019, 2021, 2022), Vandersloot re-signed with the Sky on a one-year deal in 2022 and averaged 11.8 points, 3.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists.

Just days before deals can be finalized, it was announced Vandersloot signed with Storm star Breanna Stewart’s overseas club, stoking talk that the two would be teaming up when they choose their new destinations. On Thursday, Vanderloot tweeted her decision: the Liberty, joining Stewart.

Vandersloot’s departure creates an opportunity for guards Julie Allemand and Gary native Dana Evans.

Azurá Stevens picks another team too

Azurá Stevens left for Sky for the Los Angeles Sparks on Thursday, according to ESPN.

The Sky’s frontcourt was already reeling with the loss of Candace Parker. But with Stevens departing as well — and Emma Meesseman uncertain to return to the WNBA at all this summer — the Sky will start the 2023 season without any of their rotational forwards or centers. Third-year forward Ruthy Hebard and Chinese center Li Yueru are the only frontcourt players remaining on the Sky roster.

After being drafted sixth overall by the Dallas Wings in 2018, Stevens signed with Sky in 2020. Over the last two seasons, she grew into a reliable role off the bench to complement the combination of Parker and Meesseman.

Who else could leave?

After spending the first seven years of her career with the Washington Mystics and winning the 2019 championship, Emma Meesseman signed with the Sky on a one-year-deal in 2022. As a starter with the Sky, she averaged 12.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.4 steals while shooting 34.2% from 3-point range. Meesseman came to Chicago in search of another title, but the team fell short.

She is expected to play for the Belgian national team this summer, and her return to the Sky appears unlikely with the team losing Parker, Vandersloot and potentially Azurá Stevens. Should Meesseman return to the WNBA this season, she likely would want to join a contender — and there are too many question marks in Chicago.

Key front-office move

The Sky hired Nadia Rawlinson for a newly created role of operating chairman. Rawlinson, 43, aims to establish a stronger base for the business aspects of the team as the WNBA continues to grow on and off the court.

“For so long, many WNBA teams have been just trying to survive,” Rawlinson said. “Especially from an operational standpoint, they were just trying to get through and make it. And now it’s time to thrive.”

A Lake Forest native, Rawlinson’s affinity for the Sky derives from a lifetime of Chicago basketball. She grew up during the golden days of the Bulls — trying to trick-or-treat at Michael Jordan’s house as a kid, celebrating her 16th birthday in the rafter seats of a game, sneaking out to take the Metra downtown with friends to celebrate the 1997 championship.