The 6-foot-1 Wyckoff averaged 3.1 points and 2.8 rebounds off the bench for the Sun in 2005, coming back from a torn anterior cruciate ligament that forced her to miss the entire 2004 season. Selected in the second round of the 2001 WNBA Draft (26th overall) out of Florida State, Wyckoff averaged 3.4 points and 3.4 rebounds per game with the Sun.

“This was a very difficult decision for us because Brooke has been a major part of what we have done since we came here,” Sun coach Mike Thibault said. “But we felt that for the future of our franchise, we had to protect other players. We knew we were going to lose somebody good, no matter what we did.”

Under the rules of the expansion draft, each WNBA team was allowed to protect six players, leaving the remaining players available for Chicago to select. The Sky, who begin play in 2006, were limited to taking just one player from each team.

A tenacious defender and dependable long-range shooter, Wyckoff hit the biggest shot of her career during the 2005 WNBA Finals, sending Game 2 of the series with Sacramento into overtime with a three-point shot in the closing seconds of regulation. Connecticut went on to win the game before falling to the Monarchs in four games.

“Chicago’s gain is certainly a big loss for the Sun,” General Manager Chris Sienko said. “Brooke is dynamic, talented, personable and a great teammate. She will be missed by the Sun family and by our fans. We wish her nothing but great success as she starts anew with the Sky.”