WNBA free agency update: Sky sign Azurá Stevens to three-year deal

Azurá Stevens has agreed to a three-year deal to return to the Sky, ESPN reported on Saturday. The team confirmed the signing in a statement.

“We couldn’t pass up the opportunity to bring back Azurá, a pivotal part of our championship team,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said. “Stevens brings a versatile element to our frontcourt as a shooter and shot blocker that we’re confident will pair nicely with the players we have under contract.”

The Sky want to run a more positionless offense, and Stevens, a stretch big, should fit that system well.

She’s coming off a career year with the Sparks, averaging a career-high 12.8 points per game and shooting 38.1% from 3-point range. She finished second in Most Improved Player voting.

Stevens was part of the Sky’s 2021 championship team and the 2022 squad that finished atop the regular-season standings.

“I’m truly excited to be coming home to join the Chicago Sky,” Stevens said in a statement. “This city means everything to me. The culture, the people, the passion for the game. To have the opportunity to come back to Chicago is amazing. I’m ready to get to work, embrace the moment, and give everything I have. Let’s work.”

Stevens will be a key piece of the Sky’s roster overhaul. To kick off free agency, the Sky traded forward Angel Reese — the league’s leading rebounder — to the Dream for future draft picks.

Stevens now joins Kamilla Cardoso, Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld as the only players under contract. Courtney Vandersloot also announced her intention to return last season, and earlier this week, the Sky extended a qualifying offer to Sevgi Uzun.

The Sky are reportedly in talks with the Sparks about trading Ariel Atkins for Rickea Jackson. The Sparks’ frontcourt got crowded when the team added Nneka Ogwumike in free agency; they also have Cameron Brink under contract, and the team is expected to re-sign Dearica Hamby.

The Sky have the No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft, which could result in a player like Flau’jae Johnson (LSU) or Kiki Rice (UCLA). They could also flip that asset in a trade.

The college draft will take place on April 13 and training camp opens on April 19.