Chicago Sky’s future looks bright as they wrapped up their 15th season in 2020. With standout point guard Courtney Vandersloot and acclaimed coach and general manager James Wade leading the team, the Sky are poised to become championship contenders with a few key additions.

The WNBA is a fiercely competitive league, showcasing fewer than 200 top female basketball players annually. This creates an exciting betting atmosphere, as any team has the chance to emerge victorious on any given evening.

The Sky team is scheduled to make a comeback to Chicago’s WinTrust Arena in 2021, playing a complete season in front of fans. The legalization of sportsbooks in Illinois is anticipated to boost fan engagement.

All the necessary information can be found in our Chicago Sky betting guide.

Chicago Sky odds for 2021

You can place bets on Chicago Sky basketball games from summer to fall at top Illinois sportsbooks like BetRivers Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook, which offer live WNBA odds.

Sky futures odds for the WNBA playoffs, finals

The Sky has reached the postseason for the past two years but was knocked out before reaching the semifinals each time. This year, in 2021, they are determined to advance to the next round.

Sky player props and futures

Legal sports betting apps in Illinois provide markets for Chicago Sky games, offering more than just game bets. Options include player and team props, allowing bettors to wager on various aspects of the Sky and the WNBA. Some examples of WNBA prop bets for the Chicago Sky include:

• What is the expected point total for Allie Quigley in a quarter?
• Will Azurá Stevens get a block during the game: yes or no?
• Which team will come out on top in the first half?

Placing bets on in-game events can bring excitement to gamblers. Some also find enjoyment in futures wagers, where bets are made on events that span an entire season. These wagers can be on individual athletes or entire teams, such as:

• Which team will emerge as the winner of the WNBA Finals?
• Sky regular-season win total.
• Ruthy Hebard point total.
• Which player will lead the league in rebounds?

2021 Chicago Sky schedule

The 2021 Chicago Sky schedule has been announced, with dates and times listed in Central Standard Time (CST).

The WNBA is split into two conferences for scheduling purposes. Chicago is in the Eastern Conference with five other teams. Each regular season includes 36 games, evenly split between home and away matches.

Throughout the regular season, the Sky will face off against each team in the league in a home-and-home series. Additionally, they will play another home-and-home series against the five teams from the East, as well as another home-and-home series with the two western teams that had the most similar records in the previous season.

The Eastern Conference still has the following teams:

• Atlanta Dream
• Connecticut Sun
• Indiana Fever
• New York Liberty
• Washington Mystics

Sky stats leaders

Examining key statistics from the Sky’s past four non-pandemic seasons shows familiar names, but some of these talented players have since left Chicago.

Delle Donne, the 2019 WNBA MVP, is now playing for the Washington Mystics. Meanwhile, the Sky have used the draft picks acquired in her trade to build their current roster of talented players.

While Vandersloot may be the top award contender on the team, it is important not to underestimate DeShields’ ability to win a scoring title, especially if the team can adjust their output when Vandersloot is not playing. By improving their defense, the Sky has the potential to score a lot of points.

Sky recent draft picks

Each year, the WNBA conducts a draft where teams can choose top college players to improve their rosters. In addition, teams also scout for talent from around the world.

There is fierce competition for the 12 active-roster spots on each of the 12 teams. Being drafted as a player does not guarantee a spot on the roster.

It is common in the league’s history for teams to draft players with the intention of trading their rights or preventing other teams from drafting them. It is also frequent for a player to be drafted by one team in the league, only to make her WNBA debut with a different team.

The Sky took part in a four-team trade during the draft on April 21, 2020, which resulted in them acquiring three selections. The selections included:

Dean was unable to secure a spot on the Sky roster for the shortened 2020 season. Hebard started multiple games towards the end of the season due to injuries to other front-court players. Gillespie was able to hold onto her roster spot, but saw limited playing time.

Sky head coach/assistant coaches

Taking all aspects into account, James Wade, who serves as both the general manager and head coach, delivered an impressive performance throughout the 2020 “wubble” season. His leadership during his limited time with the Sky seems to have cemented his position within the franchise. The members of his staff include:

• Assistant Coach: Olaf Lang
• Assistant Coach: Emre Vatansever
• Ann Crosby serves as both the Director of Basketball Operations and the Strength & Conditioning Coach.

In 2021, Wade will be entering his third season as head coach for the Sky, making him the sixth person to hold the position in the team’s history. He follows a line of previous coaches with different lengths of service. Wade was named Coach of the Year in 2019.

Where is WinTrust Arena?

How to watch, live stream Chicago Sky games

The WNBA has signed a national broadcast deal with CBS and Disney, meaning that Sky games may be shown on ABC, CBS, CBS Sports Network, ESPN, and ESPN2 throughout the season.

Other games will be available on WCIU within your local area. Find your provider’s channel on their website.

If you are not in WCIU’s coverage area and the game you want to watch is not being shown on national channels, you can watch it on the WNBA League Pass streaming service. CBS and Disney games may also be available for live streaming on CBS All-Access or ESPN+ with the appropriate provider credentials.

Chicago Sky team history

In their fifteen years of existence, The Sky have experienced significant success but have fallen short of winning a championship. They came close to achieving this goal in one specific season.

Michael Alter has been the principal owner of an expansion franchise since 2006, with Matthew Knowles, father of Beyonce Knowles, among the minority owners.

The first few seasons were tough, but things started looking up when Sylvia Fowles, the WNBA’s all-time rebounds leader, joined the team in 2008, followed by Elena Delle Donne in 2013. The Sky made their first playoff appearance during Delle Donne’s first season with the team.

In 2014, led by head coach Pokey Chatman, the Sky experienced a remarkable surge, reaching the Finals for the first time. Despite their impressive accomplishment, they were ultimately swept by the Phoenix Mercury, marking the peak of the team’s success under Chatman’s leadership.

Amber Stocks led the franchise through two rebuilding seasons, during which they traded Delle Donne to the Washington Mystics. The team then used the acquired draft picks to bring in players like Diamond DeShields and Gabby Williams.

In Wade’s one uninterrupted coaching season, the Sky achieved 20 wins and came close to reaching the WNBA semifinals. Unfortunately, their journey was cut short by a dramatic half-court buzzer-beater shot from Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby. The 2021 roster still features the core players from that successful season, including Allie Quigley, Courtney Vandersloot, and Diamond DeShields, all of whom were All-Stars in 2019.

• WNBA Finals Wins: Zero
• Made one appearance in the WNBA Finals in 2014.
• The WNBA has made playoff appearances six times, in the years 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, and 2020.

Vandersloot currently has the most assists in a single WNBA game (19) and in a single season (300) among all active Sky players. In contrast, Quigley holds the Sky franchise’s all-time scoring record with 2,974 points.

Fowles, a member of the Minnesota Lynx, still holds the all-time (1,832) and single-season (369) rebound records for the Sky. Delle Donne’s dominance is evident in the Sky rookie record book.