Out with the old, in with the new: Sky trade Ariel Atkins for Rickea Jackson — and begin again

Out with the old, in with the new.

The Sky said goodbye to shooting guard Ariel Atkins, trading her to the Sparks for up-and-coming forward Rickea Jackson.

It could be for the best.

Atkins is an excellent player — an elite defender, a veteran leader, a two-time All-Star. But Jackson, 25, has a ton of upside and already brings more of a scoring punch.

She averaged 14.7 points per game for the Sparks last season, only her second year in the league. Pair that with the Sky’s top three free-agency additions — Skylar Diggins, Azura Stevens and DiJonai Carrington — and you’re looking at a playoff-caliber lineup.

At least on paper, it might be the best-looking roster since 2023.

Remember 2023 — the last time the Sky made the playoffs? The core group from the 2021 championship had split up, but instead of rebuilding, then-general manager James Wade put together a legitimately competitive roster.

Remember that starting lineup — Courtney Williams, Marina Mabrey, Kahleah Copper, Alanna Smith and Elizabeth Williams? There could have — there should have — been a foundation to build around.

But within a year and a half, everyone besides Elizabeth Williams was gone. Mabrey and Copper requested trades. Smith and Courtney Williams found greener pastures elsewhere.

So they began again.

In 2024, the Sky drafted Kamilla Cardoso No. 3 overall and traded up to get Angel Reese at No. 7, touting them as the future of the franchise. (And don’t forget the bet on Chennedy Carter.) In 2025, they traded substantial draft capital to acquire Atkins, whom they also envisioned as part of a longer-term core.

Now Cardoso is the only one from that group who remains.

So they begin again.

They’ve had some good beginnings.

But they haven’t been able to follow through. It’s one thing to put together a talented roster. It’s another to keep a core together — the way the Liberty have, the way the Aces have — and contend for a championship.

Will this time be different?

If it is, the next couple of years could look something like this:

• The Sky make the playoffs in 2026.
• Jackson and Cardoso develop into All-Stars by 2027.
• Jackson and Cardoso extend their contracts, solidifying a long-term core.
• The front office makes smart moves around them in the intervening seasons, and suddenly, the Sky are contending for another championship.

If it’s just the same old cycle, then the next couple of years will look like this:

• The Sky make the playoffs in 2026, or they don’t — it doesn’t really matter either way. Top players start peeling off. Some old pieces get flipped for pretty good new pieces, but ultimately the Sky find themselves right back where they started.
• They begin again.