Chicago Sky fans can start the countdown to next season.
The WNBA on Wednesday announced its 2023 schedule, a 40-game regular season — the most in league history.
After winning their first championship in 2021, the Sky set a franchise record with 26 wins last season. But their bid for a second consecutive title fell short with a semifinals loss to the Connecticut Sun after holding a 2-1 series lead.
The Sky open their season May 19 against the Minnesota Lynx in Minneapolis. Coach/general manager James Wade has $931,000 in cap space and the No. 5 pick in the draft to add to the roster before then.
Here are four key games to watch next season.
June 6: Indiana Fever
Since Tamika Catchings retired in 2016, the Fever have floundered at the bottom of the standings — they won only 11 games combined in the last two seasons. But their rebuild could be turning a corner under interim general manager Lin Dunn. The Fever have the first pick in the 2023 draft and areexpected to select South Carolina center Aliyah Boston.
June 11: Las Vegas Aces
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After taking a series lead against the Sun, the Sky appeared poised to face the Aces in the WNBA Finals. But the Sun staged a comeback, leaving the Sky with unfinished business with the Aces.
While the Sky and Aces downplay the rivalry, theirrise has been simultaneous. They played in last season’s Commissioner’s Cup, and while the Aces were able to beat the Sky handily, the exhibition looked like a Finals preview. That didn’t happen, and the Sky have heard all offseason about how the Aces are the darlings of the WNBA.
June 25: Connecticut Sun
This is the first of four matchups between the teams, giving the Sky a chance to avenge their playoff loss.
If the Sky bring back the same roster for a bid to win two titles in three years, both teams would have lineups comparable to last season. While there’s plenty of talk about the Aces-Sky rivalry, the one that has been brewing between the Sun and Sky might be fiercer.
June 22: Seattle Storm
Like the Sky, the Storm could experience a decent amount of roster turnover between now and the start of the season. One key move could come in the form of Sky all-time assist leader and Washington native Courtney Vandersloot donning Storm green and white in 2023.
Vandersloot has been with the Sky since 2011 and said during the team’s exit interviews there was a point last offseason at which she thought she had played her final game in Chicago. She ended up back with the Sky but has the opportunity to test free agency again in January.
Vandersloot told the Chicago Sun-Times she took only two meetings with other teams last offseason: the Lynx and Storm. With the chance to play close to her family, this could be the first game Vandersloot will enter Wintrust Arena as a visitor.
James Kay is a freelance reporter for the baiduhai.