Chicago Sky Practice Facility Delayed Until 2027 Season

The Chicago Sky’s new practice complex in Bedford Park, Illinois, will not be operational for the 2026 WNBA season. General manager Jeff Pagliocca announced on Friday that the team will remain at Wintrust Arena for all practices through the season’s end. The facility, originally slated for completion by December 2025, has been pushed back repeatedly; the most recent target was “late spring, early summer,” but on-site observation in July showed the building still unfinished. Pagliocca expects full completion in November 2027, aligning with the start of the 2027 season.

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

The project was initially budgeted at $38 million for a 40,000-square-foot building. Construction costs have risen to approximately $60 million, and the footprint has doubled to roughly 80,000 sq ft. The city of Bedford Park is contributing $31.8 million toward the cost. Documents obtained by Front Office Sports reveal the Sky paid $160,000—$5,000 per day—for 32 days of practice use at the unfinished site from April 19 to May 30.

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

Pagliocca emphasized the decision to stay at Wintrust, citing the need for a fully completed facility to deliver the intended player experience. He noted that the team has been providing frequent updates and maintaining transparency with players. The organization has not ruled out temporary practice locations at the University of Illinois-Chicago or Loyola University Chicago if needed.

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

The Women’s National Basketball Players Association (WNBPA) condemned the delay, stating it underscores the importance of the CBA’s minimum facility standards. Executive director Terri Carmichael Jackson warned that player health and safety depend on consistent, fully equipped practice spaces. Veteran guard Skylar Diggins expressed frustration, saying the promised facility was essential for her performance and that the franchise “does not have everything that we need to be successful.”

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

• “We have made a decision that we will remain at Wintrust to practice for the rest of the season,” — Jeff Pagliocca, GM, Chicago Sky

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

• “We met with the team. There’s value in practicing where you play. And without the facility being at a 100% completion, I feel like it’s best to make sure when we go in, we go in giving them the experience that we wanted them to have from Day 1.” — Jeff Pagliocca

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

• “Situations like this and franchises that operate like the Chicago Sky are why the Union was laser focused on securing provisions in the CBA that required minimum standards for team facilities and staffing,” — Terri Carmichael Jackson, WNBPA Executive Director

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

• “The players need and deserve consistency in the facilities that they use every day – their health and safety depend on it.” — Terri Carmichael Jackson

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay

• “I was thinking we were going to be in a practice facility, and other things that were told to me. And that’s not been the case. There’s been things outside of people’s control that I understand, too, a lot of moving parts. Lots of places I’ve been were in that process as well, so I get it. But it’s hard to perform at a certain level without those [resources].” — Skylar Diggins, Guard, Chicago Sky

WNBA Union Blasts Chicago Sky For Yet Another Facility Delay