I’m excited about the quality of the players we have chosen and greatly impressed by the depth in the league and the number of talented athletes who were available. The overall style of the players—from speed to agility to versatility—was remarkable. We achieved a balance of experienced veterans and younger players position by position.

After months of watching game film and talking to coaches, the process itself came down to 14 hectic days from the time the list of unprotected players was released to the announcement deadline. I did my best to conduct lots of due diligence worthy of a Supreme Court judge nominee! I talked to coaches, agents, retired players and in many cases college coaches. I watched tons of film, consulted with Coach Doug Bruno and talked personally with players. As the process went on, it became clear which players made the most sense for the Chicago Sky.

We wanted players who play an aggressive up-tempo style. Defense that creates offense and fundamental teamwork were mandatory qualities. I also want athletes who have demonstrated discipline and a work ethic but know how to have fun, too. This is all about the love of the game.

Of course, we wanted a couple of “Bigs” who give us a presence inside but I also need shooters and those players who love defense. And if some of those intangibles aren’t enough, I want players who are excited about coming to Chicago and helping us build something great. I think we got all these things and more.

This part of the process will lead into helping us decide what free agents we want to pursue as we start to establish a hard-working give-it-all-you got team that will reach for the Sky.

Ready. Set. Soar.