Why Did Chicago Sky Waive Kysre Gondrezick? Exploring the Reasons Behind Teresa Weatherspoon’s Surprising Decision

Kysre Gondrezick is no longer a part of the Chicago Sky. The news surely came as a surprise to many as the Sky waived the fan-favorite guard. Her time in Chicago has been a rollercoaster ride. Having been waived once before in 2022, she got another chance to prove herself to the Chicago faithful. With a determination to continue her development, she joined Teresa Weatherspoon’s roster, only to be let go, once again.

In February, the 5-ft-9 guard returned to the league after two years of sabbatical. She inked a training camp contract of WNBA’s minimum salary of $64,164/ year with the Sky and was later selected to be a reserve in the 12-player roster. However, after playing in only five games for T-spoon, she was let go of her non-guaranteed contract. The update comes just in time as after the halfway mark in the season, all non-guaranteed contracts would have turned into guaranteed ones. But seeing that Gondrezick was no help for the team’s aim, she was let go.

After Sky’s loss to the 2x reigning champions on Thursday, the head coach mentioned, “We have to play better defense.” Previously, she had mentioned how the absence of shots from beyond the arc is highly damaging to the team’s offense as well. Hence, these just might be the reasons why the team’s general manager, Jeff Pagliocca, made this decision at such a crucial time.

This season, the fourth overall pick from 2021 has averaged 1 point per game with just 16.7% from the 3-point line. Additionally, she has also contributed 0.4 rebounds, 0.4 assists, and 0.8 steals in her five games in Chicago’s jersey. However, this wasn’t the first time she got waived by the franchise.

Kysre Gondrezick joined Chicago for the 2022 training camp after getting released by the Indiana Fever. Despite her best efforts, she couldn’t make the final roster and was waived. Under Weatherspoon, the 26-year-old had another chance to make a name for herself in the Windy City. Things didn’t work out well this time either, though.

Nevertheless, other teams too will be letting go of their non-guaranteed players in the following few days as well. Here is how the Windy City can overcome its vulnerability.

What will be Chicago’s next game plan?

The team will be facing the big guns of the league in the upcoming days. Hence, they will need to fill the blank spots on the roster soon. Especially knowing that Elizabeth Williams is out for the entire season. Currently, the team is allowing 81.8 points per game to their opponents, trailing them by 1.7 points. This value brings them to the 6th spot in the league.

Their offense is the biggest concern, though, given that they are last in the league for their 3-point percentage, averaging 29.9% from beyond the arc so far. Their total points made from threes also account for only 16.1% of the total. This number also drags them to the 12th spot in the WNBA. Hence, they have their work laid out for them.

Possibly, to tackle these shortcomings, they will select someone who other teams will waive in the coming days. Another probability is for them to bring Brynna Maxwell back, who did not advance into the final roster. Dyaisha Fair is another guard who could suitably fill these shoes. However, Las Vegas let go of Fair for her defensive limitations. So, if Chicago really wishes to solve that issue, they may want to look at other free agents.

Only time will tell what the team will do to fill their current 10-player roster. But for now, Kysre Gondrezick is back on the free agent list and may wish to look for a new home soon before all contracts are filled out.

Stay tuned for more such updates, and to follow what Shaq’s ex-agent, Leonard Armato, has to say about the infamous Shaq-Kobe feud, Caitlin Clark’s Olympic snub, and more, watch this video.