Sky to practice at UIC's Flames Athletic Center, ending the Sachs Recreation Center era

The Sachs era is ending for the Sky. For over 15 years, the Sky practiced at the Sachs Recreation Center, a Park District facility in Deerfield.

All the Sky greats experienced it. Sylvia Fowles. Elena Delle Donne. Candace Parker.

They practiced in one small gym. They shared a locker room with the public. They had limited access after-hours.

Even still, the Sky won the championship in 2021. In that era, they were not alone in practicing in less-than-professional spaces.

Then the league began to change. Franchises in Las Vegas, Phoenix, Seattle set a new standard by building dedicated facilities. They reaped the rewards; top players flocked to those organizations that were investing.

In the summer of 2024, the Sky announced plans for their own training center in Bedford Park.

It was originally scheduled to open by the end of 2025. Construction delays followed, leaving fans wondering where the team would practice this season.

Would seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, another legend, get the Sachs experience?

On Thursday, the team announced that practice will be held at UIC’s Flames Athletic Center from April 19 through May 30.

"We are proud to partner with UIC to offer Sky players a premier training camp facility in downtown Chicago, as we work towards completion of our very own world-class performance center in Bedford Park this season," Sky CEO and president Adam Fox said in a statement.

The UIC partnership is a step in the right direction.

It’s in the city, closer to Wintrust Arena. Players will have their own lockers and opportunities to practice after-hours.

But it doesn't solve the Bedford Park problem.

When the Sky first announced the facility in 2024, they were positioning themselves to have a recruiting edge, as only the top organizations had dedicated spaces.

Now, dedicated facilities are mandated under the new CBA.

The window for being on the leading-edge has closed.

Ownership just needs to deliver. So far, they've offered nothing but shifting timelines. Last fall, co-owner Nadia Rawlinson said the facility would be ready by the start of the 2026 season. A few months later, Fox said it would be ready in something called “late spring.”

Construction delays aren't unusual — the Wings also promised a facility by 2026 before pushing back to 2027. But the longer the Bedford Park construction drags, the steeper the reputational cost.

Especially because the Sky have a real deadline looming.

They volunteered to host the All-Star Game on July 25 and announced events at the new facility. That's a genuine opportunity — a chance to show the league's best players that ownership is finally following through.

So what’s the new timeline for the facility’s completion? Where will the team practice in June? The Sky did not respond in time for comment, while Bedford Park mayor Dave Brady told the Sun-Times there’s a “good chance” the Sky can use the facility by July 1.

For now, everyone can toast to the end of the Sachs experience.