As Elena Delle Donne goes, so go the Chicago Sky.

That was certainly the case in 2014, when the team went 5-12 in her absence and reached the WNBA Finals following her return. And it should hold true again this season, when the 25-year-old superstar is expected at full strength. (She battled complications from Lyme disease and a back injury last season.)

Chicago is one of the few franchises with “championship or bust” expectations, but will the offseason shakeups produce a winning formula?

Here’s what to watch for in Chicago this season:

EDD being EDD

Delle Donne looked poised to raise her game to the next level during her second season, averaging 22.3 points in Chicago’s first eight games before the health issues hit. A repeat performance from the get-go could vault the forward toward the top of the MVP conversation and the Sky toward the top of the Eastern Conference standings.

If EDD can stay on the court, her evolution as a player will be one of the most fascinating stories to watch in 2015. Keep an eye on her three-point shooting (which dropped from 44% to 36%) and assist-to-turnover ratio (which improved from 1.36 to 1.50) as she tries to become a more efficient, play-making weapon.

Cappie’s homecoming

The February blockbuster trade in which the Sky and Liberty swapped All-Star guards was pivotal for both franchises, and it also brought two players home. While Ephiphanny Prince heads back to the Big Apple, former Chicago high school star Cappie Pondexter makes her return to the Windy City.

But the move was about more than just comfort. Pondexter brings championship moxie to the Sky, having won the title with the Mercury in 2007, when she was Finals MVP, and 2009. Her veteran leadership, not to mention top-notch distributing skills, could give Chicago exactly the push it needs.

Big shoes to fill

It will be a rare sight to watch a Sky game without Sylvia Fowles patrolling the paint. But that’s the situation the team finds itself in after the three-time All-Star, who’s spent the first seven seasons of her career in Chicago, requested a trade earlier this month.

Replacing her production and presence while she is out indefinitely will be a major challenge. Fortunately for the Sky, 6-3 forward Jessica Breland emerged as one of the feel-good stories of 2014, recovering from a bout with Hodgkin’s lymphoma to enjoy a breakout season (9.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks). Breland, seven-year veteran Tamera Young and 2015 first-round pick Cheyenne Parker will be tasked with holding down the fort.

Quigley’s encore

Entering 2014, former second-round pick Allie Quigley had played 507 minutes and made 23 three-pointers in her five-year WNBA career. So what she pulled off next came out of virtually nowhere.

The Illinois native broke out in a big way, sinking a team-high 41 threes to keep the Sky afloat. Quigley eventually captured Sixth Woman of the Year honors, averaging 11.2 points — her previous high was 3.8 — off the bench while finishing eighth in the league in both three-point percentage (39%) and free throw percentage (88%).

Unfinished business

If there’s a theme to the Sky’s 2015 season, it’s just that. The arrival of Delle Donne turned the franchise’s fortunes around after seven straight losing seasons in their first seven years.

They’ve been quick to climb the ladder since — from a first-round sweep in 2013 to a Finals trip in 2014. Last year’s run had its thrills, highlighted by season-saving victories in a winner-take-all Game 3 against Atlanta (81-80 on EDD’s jumper with 8.7 seconds left) and an elimination Game 2 in double-overtime against the Fever.

Now the focus will be on taking that last and most difficult step.