WNBA Trade Idea Would’ve Sent Chicago Sky’s Rachel Banham to Atlanta Dream
The 2025 WNBA trade deadline has come and gone. Rachel Banham stayed with the Chicago Sky, but one WNBA writer believes the Atlanta Dream should have traded for her.
Lee Escobedo of Bleacher Report created the following trade idea between the Sky and Dream:
Atlanta Dream receives: Rachel Banham
Chicago Sky receives: Maya Caldwell, Taylor Thierry and a future second‑round pick
Banham is averaging 9.5 points, 1.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.6 steals and 0.3 blocks for the Sky this season while shooting 39.9% from the field, 37.3% from beyond the arc and 92.3% from the free-throw line.
The Dream are 19-11 on the season, while the Sky are only 8-22. Banham would have gone from one of the worst teams in the WNBA to one of the best if this trade had gone through.
“Few teams love to shoot the three as much as the Dream, and Banham’s deep‑range accuracy would give them another elite weapon in the rotation,” Escobedo wrote. “Coming off the bench, Banham could ignite scoring bursts and keep opposing defenses honest when Rhyne Howard and Jordin Canada need rest. Her off‑ball movement and quick release also mesh perfectly with Atlanta’s drive‑and‑kick style.
“This is a playoff push move for the Dream, who owe their first‑round pick to Washington and can’t afford to slip further in the standings. Adding Banham now gives them extra perimeter punch and veteran shot‑making in critical late‑season games. Even a modest uptick in three‑point efficiency could swing close matchups in their favor and help secure a higher playoff seed.”
Banham has made 62 3s this season. She’s one of the top shooters in the WNBA and would have made the Dream more explosive offensively. Atlanta is fourth in the WNBA in points per game and second in offensive rating. The team would have been almost impossible to defend with Banham in the mix.
The 32-year-old Banham will finish the season on the Sky, who will miss the playoffs this season for the second year in a row. It’s a shame we won’t get to see Banham in the postseason.
A Minnesota native, Banham has career averages of 5.7 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.4 steals and 0.1 blocks in 289 games with the Connecticut Sun, Minnesota Lynx and Sky.
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