Will this time be different? Sky push for fresh start
There are two distinct feelings coming out of Sky training camp.
One comes from Courtney Vandersloot and Azura Stevens. They helped deliver the Sky’s only WNBA title in 2021 and want to get back to that standard.
The other comes from coach Tyler Marsh and general manager Jeff Pagliocca, who would like a fresh start.
And who wouldn’t, after the last two years?
Losing seasons, coaching turnover, and a practice facility that still isn’t ready — despite being promised by the end of 2025.
Despite all that baggage, the front office managed to put together a competitive roster for the 2026 season.
There’s the intriguing new frontcourt pairing of Kamilla Cardoso and Rickea Jackson, a rather accomplished backcourt featuring Skylar Diggins and Vandersloot and a lottery pick in Gabriela Jaquez, fresh off an NCAA title at UCLA.
‘‘I think we should take a moment to step back and see what this is gonna look like,’’ Pagliocca said Wednesday. ‘‘Because it’s an awfully exciting, energetic group that we’ve put together.’’
You can understand that sentiment, can’t you? That desire to turn a new leaf, to honor the potential?
You also can understand the hesitation from fans. So many disappointments since the 2021 title. Remember when Kahleah Copper was supposed to be the new face of the franchise? Remember when it was Angel Reese?
The Sky traded up to draft Reese in 2024, touted her as the future, then flipped her for future first-round picks. Don’t fans have the right to protect themselves from further heartbreak?
At the request of media, Pagliocca addressed his offseason dealings at length Wednesday, including the blockbuster trade of Reese.
On how the Reese deal went down: ‘‘It was a decision we made together. We remained in constant contact with Angel and her team after the season. Over that time, there were conversations with Atlanta. They expressed interest. That was a destination that was favorable for her.’’
On the return in the deal: ‘‘If the return wasn’t what we were looking for, we weren’t going to move Angel. It had to be favorable for both sides. It’s not often you get two first-round picks back.’’
On whether Reese’s suspension last season was a factor: ‘‘[The trade] was nothing that was contentious at any point. We had closed that chapter [on the suspension]. Just a competitive player. Things were said. She handled it. We moved forward.’’
On whether the ‘‘Twin Towers’’ pairing of Reese and Cardoso failed: ‘‘There’s a lot of games where they played extremely well together. But systems change, people change, coaching staffs change. We have to make sure that we’re fitting players that are going to fit the best in Tyler’s system.’’
On what ‘‘roster balance’’ really meant: ‘‘Clearly, I’ve been aggressive [in getting] players that I think are going to fit the way that I want to play, that Tyler wants to play. That balance sometimes means we have to trade a player to make sure we can rebuild some future draft capital.’’
That’s about as candid an explanation as you’ll hear from a GM in public.
Are there more layers to the trade? You bet. Will the full story ever come to light? Probably not. On some level, fans will have to take another leap of faith.
And, at least for now, the energy at camp backs it up. Just listen to Jackson.
‘‘I mean, it’s only Day 3, and I honestly want to run through a wall for Tyler, for Jeff,’’ she said. ‘‘Like, I’ve truly felt welcome here. I truly feel seen from the beginning, and that’s just something that I’ve been missing in my career — just feeling wanted, just feeling like, ‘You see me as I see myself.’ ’’
Maybe the Jackson-Cardoso duo is here to stay. 
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