Chicago Sky's biggest move of season was forced by WNBA star's request

The Chicago Sky made a thunderous splash in the typically quiet mid-season WNBA trade window, dealing second-leading scorer Marina Mabrey and a second-round draft pick to Connecticut for Rachel Banham, Moriah Jefferson and a 2025 first-round pick.

Mabrey arrived in the Windy City last offseason as part of a blockbuster four-team trade last offseason but has since requested a trade out of Chicago just 17 months later, according to the Chicago Sun-Times , who noted the veteran guard's initial move on Wednesday.

"Marina has made a significant impact over the past two seasons with the Sky behind her scoring ability, playmaking, competitiveness and commitment to the community," Chicago Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. "We appreciate all of her contributions to the organization and wish her continued success in the league."

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Mabrey was entrusted with career-high volume by coach Teresa Weatherspoon during her first season in Chicago, scoring 15 points and ranking seventh among all WNBA players in 3-pointers made, and the New Jersey native appeared poised to become the focal point of Chicago's rebuilding offense as Kahleah Cooper left for Phoenix in February.

However, the emergence of rookie sensation Angel Reese and Chennedy Carter's defiant WNBA return changed this outlook has created more of a three-headed monster. Her typically efficient offensive output has also cratered, hamstrung by a 41 percent clip on nearly seven 2-point attempts per game, averaging a 46.7 percent effective field goal rate that ranks just 76th out of 112 eligible players.

So what does Mabrey bring to Connecticut, where she will become an immediate title contender for the 18-6 Sun? The switchable 5'11 guard currently averages 4.5 assists per night, albeit committing 2.8 turnovers in the process, and her .7 defensive win shares rank 24th league-wide.

Heading the other way to Chicago, most notably, is Jefferson, who has been limited to just nine unproductive games this season by an ankle injury and has not played since June 12. The UConn graduate was quite productive last season in Phoenix, however, averaging in double figures with 3.6 assists a night while poking away more than a steal per game.

Banham, meanwhile, has proven a reliable three-point shooter off the bench through nine WNBA seasons, attempting 63 percent of her field goals beyond the arc, and may earn a greater role in Chicago as the team now faces acute spacing issues. The Sky currently rank dead last in both 3-pointers made and 3-pointers attempted, with Mabrey accounting for 46 percent of all attempts from beyond the arc.

Dana Evans, who is also reportedly on the chopping block this summer, accounts for another 19 percent of Chicago's 3s, leaving Michaela Onyenwere, who averages just 10 minutes per game, as the only returning Sky player shooting better than 25 percent from the perimeter. Of note, Jefferson is a statistically lethal but generally unwilling long-range shooter, attempting just two shots a game from distance on her career.