Center Stefanie Dolson had a lot to celebrate Monday.
As expected, the Sky re-signed Dolson to a multiyear deal, the team announced Monday. Terms of the deal weren’t disclosed.
Acquired in a trade that sent two-time MVP Elena Delle Donne to the Mystic, Dolson has been with the Sky since 2017. Last season, she averaged 9.3 points and 5.6 rebounds and ranked fourth in the league in field-goal percentage, finishing with a 51.8 percent average.
General manager James Wade has been adamant about returning as much of his 2019 squad as possible for this season, so it comes as no surprise that he brought back Dolson, especially after he traded Astou Ndour to the Wings last week.
“Stefanie is a big part of our identity on both ends of the floor, and off the floor as well,” Wade said in a statement. “She has proven to be a crucial piece in our turnaround, and I couldn’t imagine going into 2020 without her.”
Dolson said she didn’t talk to any other teams during free agency because the two-time All-Star knew she wanted to remain with the Sky.
“I love Chicago, I love this city, I love James and I love my teammates,” said Dolson, the sixth overall pick of the 2014 draft. “For me, it was an easy choice.
“I’ve never been closer to a team in my career. I want to help bring a championship to this city, so I’m honored that they have signed me back to do that.”
The good news doesn’t stop there for Dolson.
It was also announced Monday that Dolson was one of the four players picked to represent Team USA at the 2020 three-on-three Olympic Qualifying Tournament set for next month in Bengaluru, India. She’ll join Napheesa Collier, Allisha Gray and Kelsey Plum, who were hand selected after a three-on-three training camp, which took place in Chicago last weekend.
“It means so much to me that they chose me to be a part of this three-on-three team,” said Dolson, who was able to participate in last weekend’s training camp after the Women’s Chinese Basketball Association — the league she was signed to play in this offseason — suspended its season last month due to the Coronavirus outbreak. “It’s always an honor to wear the USA jersey, but to be able to do it in a sport that is just now starting to grow and will be in the Olympics for the first time is amazing. I can’t wait to get to the qualifiers and to try and help get us to the Olympics.”
With Dolson’s signing now official, the Sky have eight players on the books for the 2020 season, including guard Kahleah Copper, who signed a two-year, $330,000 deal Saturday. The Sky are expected to re-sign Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley in the coming days and hold the No. 8 pick in April’s draft. There’s also a possibility the Sky could sign 2019 third-round pick Maria Conde for whom they’ve held $57,000 worth of cap space, though she could opt to stay in Europe for another season, High Hoops Post reported.
