Sky extend core qualifying offer to guard Ariel Atkins

The Sky have extended a core qualifying offer to guard Ariel Atkins, according to the WNBA transactions page.

A core qualifying offer is a fully guaranteed one-year deal worth the supermax, which is reported to be $1.4 million in the new collective-bargaining agreement.

Atkins was the Sky’s third-leading scorer last season (13.1 points per game) and their best perimeter defender. She’s now an unrestricted free agent.

However, getting the core designation from the Sky means she can't negotiate with other teams in free agency.

The supermax would be attractive financially for Atkins, given those deals typically go to a select few superstars. It just depends whether Atkins wants to take a bet on a team that went 10-34 last season.

At the end of the dismal 2025 season, Atkins told the Sun-Times she was still undecided about her future.

The good news for the Sky is that even if Atkins declines the offer, she won’t be able to walk away for nothing. Per the rules of the core designation, she and the Sky can negotiate a move elsewhere via a sign-and-trade agreement.

That matters because the Sky traded the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft to the Mystics to get Atkins. That pick became Sonia Citron, who was named to the All-Star team in her first season.

The deal didn't age well. The core designation is its saving grace.

Notes: For the Sky to execute a sign-and-trade with Atkins, she would need to sign at a contract value lower than the supermax, per the rules of the new CBA.

The Sky also extended a reserved qualifying offer to point guard Sevgi Uzun. Uzun joined the Sky on a rest-of-season contract in 2025 and had a limited impact.