The WNBA free agency period officially begins on January 21, and teams are already making significant moves. The Chicago Sky, with two of their brightest young stars, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, still on rookie contracts, have extended qualifying offers to Dana Evans, Michaela Onyenwere, and Nikolina Milic. The news was first reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun-Times.
With these offers, the Sky hold exclusive negotiating rights with Evans and Onyenwere. However, starting January 21, both players can receive offers from other teams. If the Sky choose not to match, the players are free to sign elsewhere or be involved in a sign-and-trade deal.
Milic, meanwhile, is now a reserved free agent, meaning she can only negotiate with the Sky. All three offers come with one-year, non-guaranteed salaries. Notably absent from the list of offers is guard Chennedy Carter, who is set to test the market as a restricted free agent.
While Sky General Manager Jeff Pagliocca has not provided an official explanation for withholding an offer from Carter, the decision signals a willingness to move on from the high-scoring guard during this new era under head coach Tyler Marsh. However, they still have time to offer her one.
Chennedy Carter
Last season, Carter led the Sky in scoring, averaging 17.5 points per game while shooting a career-best 48% from the field. She also contributed 3.5 rebounds and three assists per game.
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WNBA free agency: Indiana Fever set to retain Caitlin Clark's key teammate
Chennedy Carterās history of controversy
Despite her talent, Carter has been at the center of several controversies throughout her career. During her sophomore season with the Atlanta Dream, she was suspended for āconduct detrimental to the teamā following an incident with teammate Courtney Williams.
Carter was traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in 2022 but reportedly faced further disciplinary issues. According to the Los Angeles Times, she was benched for āpoor conductā during her time with the team.
Her role diminished significantly, and she spent part of 2023 playing overseas before returning to the WNBA and signing with the Sky. In Chicago, however, she has been, so far, praised by her teammates, including Reese, who called her āone of the best guards in this leagueā and āimportantā for the team.
