Ski makes 3 intriguing list moves

The Chicago Ski took another step toward rounding out its 2025 roster on Monday, extending two restricted qualifying offers and a reserved qualifying offer to three players it hopes will play a role in the team’s secondary.

Ski has extended limited qualifying offers to Dana Evans and Michael Onienwerewho last year played roles from the bench and in the team’s starting line-up. The move prevents them from becoming unrestricted free agents when VNBA free agency opens on February 1.

The team also extended a reserved qualifying offer to Nikolina Milic, who sat out last WNBA season, but Ski bought in trade with Minnesota Link last April. The offer gives Chicago exclusive negotiating rights to Milic unless he withdraws the offer by March 7, when he would become an unrestricted free agent.

It’s all paperwork that shows Sky hope to have all three when the 2025 season starts in May. Evans, a five-year veteran, averaged 7.2 points per game, shooting 37.6% from 3-point range, for Chicago in 2204, her fourth season with the Sky. Onienwere added another 6.6 in her first season with the Sky.

Chenedy Carter is notably absent from the list of Ski qualifying bids

While Sky have extended qualifying offers to Evans, Onjenver and Milic, one name missing from the list is perhaps more significant than all three.

The Sky didn’t give Kenedy Carter a qualifying offer, indicating the franchise may be willing to move on from its star guard. Although Carter led the team in scoring (17.5 points per game), there were also questions about Carter’s impact in the dressing room and her commitment to the team, according to Annie Costabile of the Chicago Sun Times.

“Players alluded to issues in the locker room during exit interviews and a culture that catered to the needs of a few versus the entire team,” Costabile wrote. “First-year coach Tyler Marsh has made clear his intentions to develop a system that does not prioritize one player.”

Angel Reese, the leadoff hitter still under contract, has been vocal in his support of Carter in the past. She wrote on Monday through Ks“everything happens for a reason.” She previously called Carter “one of the best guards in this league” and stuck by her when Carter was under fire for a foul on Caitlin Clark in June.

The Sky now have until January 20 to offer Carter a new deal before she becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Russell Steinberg covers Major League Baseball and the New York Liberty for ClutchPoints. A lifelong baseball and basketball player, he has written for Boardroom, SLAM, SB Nation, The Next and more. He graduated from NIU in 2012 and still returns to serve as the announcer and occasional broadcaster for the school’s basketball and volleyball teams.