Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca went to work the first day of the All-Star break, sending Marina Mabrey and a 2025 2nd round draft pick to the Connecticut Sun.

In exchange, the Chicago Sky received two guards in Rachel Banham and Moriah Jefferson along with their 2025 1st round draft pick and rights to swap 1st round draft picks in 2026.

Mabrey led the Sky in assists with her 4.5 average on the season and has struggled as a scorer this season, seeing her average drop from 15.0 to 14.0 ppg after putting up her career-best scoring season in 2023. Mabrey is joining a Sun team sitting at No. 2 in the WNBA rankings.

In return, the Sky are getting two guards that can provide a deep shooting threat, something the Sky have lacked for a majority of this season. The 7-year veteran in Jefferson underwent surgery on her ankle on June 25 that sidelined her for three weeks, meaning she will be back by the start of the second half of the season.

Jefferson’s stats this season are skewed due to the ankle injury. In just 9 games, she averaged 2.1 points and shot 33.3% from the arc. However, her veteran experience as a point guard will provide another option for the offensive schemes when Lindsay Allen is on the bench. As a starter, she provides a deep threat shooting just under 40% from the arc and chipping in just shy of 10 points per game. She’ll also slide into the defensive identity with a career average of 1.1 steals a game. 

Banham is another experienced guard as a 9-year veteran in the WNBA. She was averaging just around 13 minutes a game and found ways to be offensively productive with an average 5.2 ppg while shooting just shy of 37% from the 3-point line. Banham brings yet another deep shooting threat off the bench that will help replace the volume that Mabrey brought from the arc.

The Sky also added draft capital for 2025.

The Sky gave the rights to swap their 2025 1st round draft pick to the Dallas Wings as a part of the trade to acquire Marina Mabrey in 2023. The Wings still have the rights to swap first round draft picks for 2025. Regardless of whether or not Dallas decides to exercise those rights, the Sky now have two 1st round 2025 draft picks.

With these additions, the Sky roster is now 12 total spots with 11 active players. There is still an opportunity for Pagliocca and the Sky to make another trade before the deadline on August 20.