The Connecticut Sun are trading Rebecca Allen to the Chicago Sky in exchange for guard Lindsay Allen and the rights to forward Nikolina Milic, first reported by Annie Costabile of the Chicago-Sun Times. She was recently acquired by the Sun via trade, which involved sending Alyssa Thomas and Ty Harris to the Phoenix Mercury in exchange for Allen, Natasha Cloud, and the No. 12 pick.
The Sun are clearly in rebuild mode as they continue to shuffle picks and players only a few days into free agency amid losing out on Thomas and likely DeWanna Bonner. DiJonai Carrington and Ty Harris have landed with the Dallas Wings through their respective trades, Veronica Burton was picked up by the Golden State Valkyries in the expansion draft, and Brionna Jones agreed to a deal with the Atlanta Dream as an unrestricted free agent. Connecticut has also made front office changes since the end of the 2024 campaign, moving general manager Darius Taylor to Chief Basketball Strategist and Director of Scouting, while promoting assistant general manager Morgan Tuck to official GM duties.
Changes within the Sun organization show the franchise will not be competitive for years to come after allowing franchise and cornerstone players to depart. The only players currently on roster amid trades are Marina Mabrey, Natasha Cloud, Olivia Nelson-Ododa, Caitlin Bickle, Lindsay Allen, and Jacy Sheldon who was acquired through Carrington’s trade. While Mabrey and Cloud are very talented players, many are expecting these two players to exercise their trade options as well. Both players have recently left organizations they were unhappy with prior to landing with the Sun and Mercury respectively. Could they be on the move again considering how teams like the Mercury, Las Vegas Aces, Indiana Fever, and Los Angeles Sparks are loading up? If Tuck is looking to remain competitive in 2025, retaining Mabrey and Cloud is a must. Otherwise the franchise will likely see high roster turnover, declining their appeal to top and free agents.
On the other hand, the Chicago Sky have acquired top agents Courtney Vandersloot and now Allen to aid in their quest of becoming a contending team. The Sky also re-signed Michaela Onyenwere to a deal, which will help them maintain a strong defense presence. Chicago general manager Jeff Pagliocca and new head coach Tyler Marsh are building a strong roster around (now) second-year players Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso that mixes experience with shooting and youth to build a winning recipe.
