The 2026 offseason brings a rare chance for teams to change the trajectory of their franchise, with nearly every veteran available to be signed.<\/p>\n
At the same time, two new, deep-pocketed teams \u2014 the Tempo and the Fire \u2014 are joining the league, making competition even stiffer.<\/p>\n
Should Sky<\/a> fans get their hopes up about landing a big fish this time around? Here\u2019s the latest.<\/p>\n Elevating the player experience<\/p>\n Sky CEO Adam Fox says that after recent upgrades to player experience, \u201cthere\u2019s nothing now that we\u2019re lacking.\u201d The Sky raised $8.5 million from investors in 2023 and according to Fox are spending much of the 2024 revenue spike.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s where they\u2019re spending:<\/p>\n Medical staff: The Sky hired Jessica Cohen, a respected physical therapist from the Milwaukee Bucks, as well other trainers from USA Basketball and the Lakers. Player security: The Sky brought in Moonshot, a cybersecurity firm that monitors online threats and pushes platforms to remove them. They also added full-time personal security for players, a must given Angel Reese\u2019s profile.Wellness: Players get higher-quality meals, top-tier hotels on the road, and unlimited access to ReStore, which offers advanced recovery services.<\/p>\n \u201cYou can see they\u2019re listening and trying,\u201d Sky guard Rachel Banham told the Sun-Times of the organization. \u201cThey\u2019re trying to hear our experiences and what we need.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThere\u2019s everything that you need here, it just might not be in the same building,\u201d Kia Nurse added.<\/p>\n Practice facility under construction<\/p>\n Practice facilities remain a significant recruiting tool. The Aces set the trend in 2023, with the Storm and Mercury quickly following. The Sky\u2019s current setup \u2014 a public recreation center \u2014 was cited when players voted them the league\u2019s worst organization<\/a> in an Athletic survey earlier this year.<\/p>\n Their new practice facility, management believes, will be ready by the 2026 season.<\/p>\n Construction update: A significant part of the exterior is in place, though interior work has not begun.Final cost: Estimated in the \u201clow 40s,\u201d up from $38 million. The figure isn\u2019t final, with bid packages still outstanding. The original December 2025 timeline was delayed after expanding the project\u2019s footprint.Ownership\/financing: The building will be owned by the Village of Bedford Park, with the Sky contributing funds for exclusive access. Their 2023 capital raise and bank loans are helping to cover their portion.<\/p>\n If it opens in time, the Sky will be ahead of the Sparks, Sun, Dream, and Wings, who practice in shared spaces and have not yet begun construction on a facility.<\/p>\n But they\u2019re still far from setting the pace. The Liberty, Fever and Fire are building new facilities at roughly twice the cost of the Sky\u2019s. The Sun\u2019s prospective buyer included a $100 million commitment for a new practice site. And the expansion Valkyries renovated a former Warriors facility that cost $1.4 billion.<\/p>\n As long as big infrastructure investments keep teams on the cutting edge, the Sky will likely lag behind franchises owned by billionaires or NBA teams.<\/p>\n Mindset at the top, unchanged<\/p>\n