CHICAGO, Ill. – On the same day the Chicago Sky failed to land Nneka Ogwumike, the franchise returned a former WNBA Champion.
Diamond DeShields and Taya Reimer have signed contracts with the Sky, according to the WNBA’s transaction wire.
DeShields returns to the franchise that drafted her in 2018 out of Tennessee. Reimer’s contract is designated as a training camp contract.
DeShields comes back to the Sky after a one-year stint in Phoenix and an injury-plagued 2023. The Sky traded DeShields to the Mercury as part of massive trade that involved the No. 3 overall selection in the 2022 WNBA Draft.
DeShields averaged 13.2 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.2 steals per game in her four seasons in Chicago. This included the 2021 season, where DeShields helped the Sky win the 2021 WNBA Championship.
After getting traded from Phoenix to the Dallas Wings, she missed the 2023 season with a knee injury.
Reimer, who was a teammate of recent Sky signer Lindsay Allen at Notre Dame, has not played in a WNBA game.
This is the biggest splash for the Sky in free agency so far during a free agency period where the Sky missed out on a star and saw other players walk.
Ogwumike, who announced in January she would not be returning the Los Angeles Sparks, signed a contract with the newly reloaded Seattle Storm. Ogwumike had listed the Sky as one of three teams she was considering as she narrowed down her list.
Now, the Sky will pair DeSheilds with star Kahleah Copper and Marina Mabrey in the franchise’s back court.
