{"id":829209,"date":"2026-08-29T00:24:13","date_gmt":"2026-08-29T00:24:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/829209\/"},"modified":"2026-08-29T00:24:13","modified_gmt":"2026-08-29T00:24:13","slug":"owner-michael-alter-is-not-happy-about-sky-missing-playoffs-again-so-what-should-he-do","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/829209\/","title":{"rendered":"Owner Michael Alter is \u2018not happy\u2019 about Sky missing playoffs again \u2014 so what should he do?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sky<\/a> principal owner Michael Alter doesn\u2019t reveal his state of mind often, but he said during a recent media appearance<\/a> that he\u2019s unhappy about the Sky missing the playoffs for the third consecutive year.<\/p>\n

So what should he do about it?<\/p>\n

One does not get the sense that Alter, the league\u2019s longest-tenured owner, is looking to sell his beloved team. In that case, accountability is needed at every level of the organization.<\/p>\n

That means evaluating a general manager who hasn\u2019t protected the team\u2019s draft capital even as a historic wave of talent enters the league; a coach who failed to maximize a roster that easily could have won 20 games; and Alter himself, who hasn\u2019t equipped either of them with the intellectual infrastructure of the league\u2019s top tier.<\/p>\n

Here are three options for course correction.<\/p>\n

1. Go the Sparks route: Fire the GM<\/p>\n

The Sparks\u2019 situation is similar to the Sky\u2019s: They traded away lottery picks that became stars elsewhere without earning a playoff bid in return.<\/p>\n

Oftentimes in professional sports, that combination means you\u2019re out. The Sparks fired Reagan Pebley midseason, and ownership is now talking about taking a step back to go forward.<\/p>\n

One can understand the appeal of that approach. Look at the Fever, Mystics and Wings, and you\u2019ll notice that all they needed was a couple of losing seasons that led to top picks. Now they\u2019re playoff-caliber teams. <\/p>\n

The Sky could find a general manager willing to take this approach, too. But it assumes Alter is amenable to a multiyear rebuild. The fact that former Sky GM\/coach James Wade also spat in the face of a draft-driven rebuild might offer a clue about Alter\u2019s preferences.<\/p>\n

Why keep Pagliocca: The Sky might just have an underrated young core in Rickea Jackson, Sydney Taylor and Kamilla Cardoso. If Alter is sold on them as a foundation for a contender, it makes sense to retain the man who assembled it. Pagliocca acquired Jackson in a shrewd deal and found Taylor where no one else was looking.<\/p>\n

2. Go the Liberty route: Can the coach<\/p>\n

When the Liberty fell short of their championship goal in 2025, they decided coach Sandy Brondello had failed to maximize their talent.<\/p>\n

The Sky obviously weren\u2019t contending for a title this season, but they underperformed relative to their talent. Some of that traces back to coach Tyler Marsh\u2019s decisions, including waiting too long<\/a> to put Taylor in the starting lineup and then waiting too long to make her their go-to closer.<\/p>\n

He also took heat <\/a>from veteran point guard Skylar Diggins over his late-game management, and Pagliocca implied in an interview with the Sun-Times<\/a> that he wasn\u2019t thrilled with it, either.<\/p>\n

If the Sky part with Marsh, they would have options. Several seasoned assistants around the league are probably ready. An experienced coach of a playoff team could become available after a first-round exit. Or the Sky could mine the college ranks.<\/p>\n

Why keep Marsh: Marsh is clearly improving his end-of-game management: the Sky are actually 5-3 in clutch games since the All-Star break. His offensive system also appears to have legs: Despite their inconsistency, the Sky spent a 10- to 12-game stretch operating as one of the league\u2019s best offenses.<\/p>\n

3. Stay the course \u2014 with reinforcements<\/p>\n

This might be the least satisfying option for fans who want heads to roll. The frustration is understandable. In some ways, this season feels like a rerun of the previous two: another missed postseason, more practice-facility dysfunction and sporadic player drama.<\/p>\n

What gets lost in the sauce, though, is how dramatically the basketball improved. Last year\u2019s team was basically unwatchable and finished with one of the worst records in franchise history.<\/p>\n

This year\u2019s team was genuinely formidable, and Pagliocca and Marsh deserve credit for that. The Sky beat each of the league\u2019s top three teams and became the kind of non-playoff opponent that playoff teams didn\u2019t really want to face.<\/p>\n

Now imagine another leap forward next season. Imagine a healthy Jackson<\/a> alongside more mature versions of Taylor and Cardoso.<\/p>\n

And imagine, if you can, a front office finally staffed with the kinds of roles leading franchises have had for years: an assistant general manager and analysts dedicated to crunching the numbers, so Pagliocca and Marsh aren\u2019t doing the jobs of four or five people between them.<\/p>\n

That part is on Alter. It would make a huge difference.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

\"Chicago<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

The ACL injury ended Jackson\u2019s breakout season all too soon. Bedazzling her ice machine has made the monotony of recovery a little more bearable.<\/p>\n

[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
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read<\/p>\n

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\"Indiana<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

It also was the third-most watched regular-season game ever.<\/p>\n

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read<\/p>\n

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\"Indiana<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

In a rare media appearance, Alter let it be known that Kanter Freedom is no friend of the Sky\u2019s. <\/p>\n

[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]
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