Sky front office maintains developing a new practice facility is a 'priority'

In the WNBA, with a hard salary cap and, at most, only 144 roster spots available among 12 teams, it hasn’t been difficult for certain franchises to separate themselves over the last few years.

The way they’re doing it is with offerings that, to the average sports fan, seem like a given. Things such as an individual locker, state-of-the-art recovery tools and practice facilities available to athletes year-round are staples for the Las Vegas Aces and Seattle Storm. Other teams, such as the New York Liberty, Phoenix Mercury, Indiana Fever and Minnesota Lynx, operate under the same ownership as their NBA counterparts and share resources that have proved equally enticing to free agents.

In men’s sports, these offerings are no-brainers. But in the WNBA, they work as competitive advantages, and they’ve had implications on the Sky’s success in free agency.

But that could soon end as the Sky’s search for their own practice facility narrows.

“The idea that we put as much energy and resource into finding a facility of our own should be an indication that we understand what direction the league is going,” Sky CEO Adam Fox said. “We want to be involved in the movement.”

The 2024 free-agency period marked the complete dissolution of the Sky’s 2021 championship starting five with the trade of franchise player Kahleah Copper to the Mercury.

Copper requested the trade after the Sky failed to sign key players in free agency, specifically their two major targets, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Nneka Ogwumike. Both signed with the Storm and emphasized the role ownership’s investment made in their decisions.

“We’re elite athletes,” Ogwumike said during her introductory news conference. “We’ve been playing in a transitional period of this league that I think most times what we want and deserve is heavily buried by the collective movement, the selflessness of it all.

“I never thought I’d play in a facility that was my own. Seeing that’s now a reality, I realize I’m stepping into a physical representation of my worth.”

Karen Leetzow, president of the NWSL’s Red Stars, released a statement in light of White Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf’s pursuit of $1 billion in taxpayer money to help fund a new ballpark.

“A true commitment to equity means that women’s sports have a seat at the table when there are discussions about public/private partnerships to build the next generation of sports stadiums,” Leetzow said.

The Sky moved to Wintrust Arena in 2017 after playing eight seasons at Allstate Arena in Rosemont. Fox said there were no conversations taking place regarding the Sky building their own stadium. Their focus is on the practice facility.

Fox did not give a definitive answer on whether Sky ownership has already had discussions with elected officials regarding public funding. He did echo Leetzow’s sentiments in saying that the Sky are as worthy of a seat at the table as any of Chicago’s other professional sports teams.

“Any opportunities that would be available will be explored by us,” Fox said.

At this point, the team’s exploration appears to be focused on finding a location in the city for their practice facility.

Fox said the Sky have identified “a small number” of locations, which include the possibility of renting and building from the ground up. The Sky’s lease with Sachs Recreation Center in Deerfield expires after the 2024 season, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it will be their last time operating out of that location.

“We have a great working relationship with Sachs,” Fox said. “I’m not worried about the ability to do whatever we would need to do. We have great partners with the people at Sachs.”

The Aces and Storm are the only WNBA franchises that have built state-of-the-art practice facilities without shared ownership.

In October, Mercury and Suns owner Matt Ishbia announced he would invest more than $100 million in a practice facility for the Mercury. The facility will be over 58,000 square feet and include 24/7 access for players and coaches.

It will include two practice courts with 10 baskets, a fitness room, hot and cold pools and underwater treadmills, a player and family lounge, a film room and an expansive locker room with state-of-the-art technology. It will also include a kitchen and a dedicated chef.

Players around the league are paying close attention to how every organization is proceeding. How the Sky execute their own facility will be a true marker of what direction they’re headed in.

“You see teams around the league really investing in their franchises,” Copper said during her introductory news conference with the Mercury. “That’s what’s attractive to people now. Sometimes, you do have to keep up with the Joneses.

“Stating the obvious, players are going where it’s attractive, where they feel like the game is growing and where they feel like things are moving forward.”