A year ago, as the 2022 WNBA season approached, the 2021 championship-winning Chicago Sky were enjoying a delightful offseason.
Fresh off of the first title in franchise history, Chicago dished out some money to a couple of Finals MVPs. They retained their own, Kahleah Copper (2021), and scooped up the 2019 Finals MVP, Emma Meesseman, along the way, providing the reigning champs a huge talent boost. Once Courtney Vandersloot re-signed later on in the offseason, the Sky were about as good a bet as any to repeat as WNBA champion before them.
One year later, no one would dare wager any significant amount of money on a Chicago Sky championship futures bet, which is currently +3500 at FanDuel Sportsbook—the third-worst in a 12-team league.
What happened? Losses, losses, and more losses.