Forward Astou Ndour is returning to the Chicago Sky on a one-year deal after spending last season with the Dallas Wings.
The Wings bought out the last two years of Ndour’s three-year contract last month, paving the way for her to rejoin the Sky. Ndour is the latest addition to the Sky’s stacked roster, headlined by Candace Parker, Courtney Vandersloot and Diamond DeShields.
Ndour is coming off a challenging 2020 season, when she averaged 3.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in 13 games. Her familiarity with the Sky will likely make for a smooth transition.
Last offseason, Ndour received a lot of attention as a restricted free agent after turning heads during the second half of the 2019 season. Ndour replaced the injured Jantel Lavender in the starting lineup and averaged 10.7 points (on 50% shooting) and 7.1 rebounds in 11 starts. She also played a key rolein the Sky’s two 2019 playoff games, averaging 16.5 points and a team-leading 8.5 rebounds.
Ndour, who credits coach James Wade for giving her an opportunity in the WNBA, pledged her loyalty to the Sky before 2020 free agency began. But the Sky couldn’t afford to match offers. Wade ultimately signed-and-traded Ndour to the Wings in return for the eighth overall pick in this year’s draft.
Ndour’s return to Chicago comes one day after the Sky waived forward Stephanie Mavunga, whom they acquired at the trade deadline for Lavender and draft picks.
Mavunga was brought on as the injury-plagued Sky prepared for their second consecutive postseason berth. She averaged two points and 2.6 rebounds in five regular-season games and played only one minute in the Sky’s first-round playoff loss to the Sun.
