Azurá Stevens returns to Chicago, where the fit — and the money — made sense

Talk to any key piece of the Sky’s 2021 championship team and they'll tell you Chicago is home. For some — Candace Parker, Allie Quigley — that's partly because they grew up in the area. For others, it was the experience: the bond of continuity and shared success.

Count Azurá Stevens among that second group. She was a key contributor to the 2021 run, and since then she's taken her game to another level.

She averaged a career-high 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds with the Sparks last season, shooting an impressive 38% from three.

She's evolved into a rarity in the WNBA: a 6-6 forward who can shoot lights out from deep. That combination, even in a free agency period when nearly every star was on the market, made Stevens a prize.

The Sky won her — despite coming off a 10-34 season and missing the playoffs since 2023.

So what brought her back to Chicago?

Familiarity was part of it. She wanted another chance to play alongside Courtney Vandersloot, arguably the best player in Sky history and one of Stevens' good friends. The move also brings her nearer to family in North Carolina, where she grew up.

But Stevens also saw a path to winning here. She was impressed by the team's offseason moves, landing All-WNBA point guard Skylar Diggins, plus Rickea Jackson and DiJonai Carrington. She's heard nothing but good things about Tyler Marsh, entering his second season as head coach. And she believes she'll complement 6-7 center Kamilla Cardoso, the Sky's young centerpiece.

"I can stretch the floor, and obviously she's great down low, so I think we're going to play off each other very well," Stevens said at an introductory news conference on Monday.

That fit was central to the pitch. Marsh wants to play fast, with more spacing — meaning bigs get the green light to launch threes. Stevens will fit right in.

The contract didn't hurt either. She signed a three-year deal worth $3.15 million, the richest on the Sky's current roster.

Stevens was open about that being part of the appeal.

"I wanted to get paid," she said.

The Sky could afford it. Unlike the Liberty or the Aces, they don't have a superstar or a "Big 3" eating up cap space. Stevens' deal was a smart use of it. She hasn't quite cracked the All-Star tier yet, but she's exactly the kind of bet you make while building toward contention.

She also joins a new and growing elite in the league: the million-dollar club. When Stevens won her championship with the Sky, her rookie contract was worth $70,000.

The players union spent the last 17 months negotiating to change that, and the result was the most comprehensive revenue-sharing system in women's sports.

Stevens is already feeling the difference.

"To get seven figures is literally life-changing," she said. "I've been pretty fortunate to make good money playing basketball, but not that much. It's life-changing for my family — to just give back to my parents. They've literally done more than I can imagine for me."

As the WNBA enters its 30th season, at least 25 players will earn $1 million or more, according to the Her Hoop Stats database.

Stevens said she plans to earn every penny.