Of the trio of veteran guards for the Chicago Sky, not all three may be in the team’s plans for the 2026 WNBA season next year.
The Chicago Sky have seen quite a bit of player turnover during the past few seasons. Only one player from the 2021 WNBA championship team was on the Sky’s roster in 2025.
That’s only because veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot came back on a one-year deal following a pair of seasons with the New York Liberty. Vandersloot won her second WNBA title with the Liberty in 2024.
Heading into the 2026 WNBA regular season next year, only one guard from this past season’s roster is under contract. Rookie Hailey Van Lith is one of four players with a contract on Chicago.
Van Lith’s former LSU Tigers’ teammate Angel Reese, center Kamilla Cardoso, and fellow rookie Maddy Westbeld are those three other players signed still by the Sky.
Along with Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins is also a free agent. Another trio of guards on the Sky are unsigned. But which one or ones are worth bringing back?
Rebecca Allen
Chicago had a slew of injuries affect the team’s ability to stay healthy and be on the court. Vandersloot played in just seven games before she went down for the year due to an ACL tear.
Reese and Atkins missed games, too, especially late in the season. But not Allen. The former Liberty player appeared in all 44 games this year for the Sky. Allen even started 17 times for Chicago.
One of the taller guards in the WNBA at 6’2”, Allen will be entering her tenth season in the league. The 32-year-old’s 5.2 points and 2.6 rebounds per game may not be crucial for the Sky’s success.
Allen had eight games last season where she scored in double figures. She had four during the month of May and the other four in July, including a 27-point showing at Wintrust Arena against the Dallas Wings.
Rachel Banham
A first round pick from the 2016 WNBA Draft, Banham averaged more points a game than Allen. The former Connecticut Sun guard was good for nine points per game in her first full season with the Sky.
Banham had one of the best games during the season finale at Wintrust Arena against the Liberty. She not only scored 13 points, but she also recorded 10 assists in 37 minutes of play.
The now-free agent guard scored in double digits eight out of 10 games in July. During August, Banham had a four-game streak in which she scored at least 10 points.
Another durable player for Chicago, Banham also played in all 44 games for the Sky this past season. Banham started 75% of the time (33 games), making her more valuable than Allen.
Kia Nurse
Nurse is the youngest guard of the three. The former WNBA All-Star (2019) is still under 30 until February.
The 10th pick of the 2018 WNBA Draft started her professional basketball career with the Liberty, too. She played three seasons for New York and one with the Phoenix Mercury before sitting out the 2022 season.
With 14 games in double figures, Nurse had nearly twice as many games as Allen with 10 points or more. Another former UConn Huskie that played in all 44 games for the Sky in 2025, Nurse may not score as much as Banham. However, she’s a better offensive option than Allen.
Prediction: The Chicago Sky bring back both Banham and Nurse, but let Allen walk in free agency. If the 2021 WNBA champions hope to end their two-season long playoff drought, they will need an established scorer in the starting lineup. But, Banham and Nurse could make the Sky’s bench better in 2026.
