Mystics, Sky Trade Highlights Different Approaches to Future Success

This weekend, I went to the movies with my partner to see the new Oz Perkins’ movie The Monkey – based on the Stephen King short story.

It was campy, fun, and it knew exactly what it was meant to be.

TLDR; twin brothers Bill and Hal find a wind-up monkey (don’t call it a toy), people around them start to die. 

Twenty-five years later, the estranged twins are brought back together by the monkey, as Hal looks to exact revenge on his younger brother.

Two brothers. Identical twins, in fact, yet they couldn’t be more different.

Hal is a pompous dude who has no control of his emotions, looking for a quick fix to his problems.

Bill, on the other hand, isn’t exactly a model citizen, but understands the long-term impact of his decisions from his youth.

It was fun. It was violent. There were lessons shoved in there, too, and the movie popped in my mind on Sunday when I saw post from The Athletic’s Ben Pickman post on Bluesky: 

The Chicago Sky are trading the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to the Washington Mystics for two-time All-Star and Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins, a league source confirms to The Athletic.

ESPN first on the deal.— Ben Pickman (@benpickman.bsky.social) February 23, 2025 at 7:24 PM

On Sunday, the Washington Mystics and the Chicago Sky made a trade that continued an offseason of blockbuster moves, as the Mystics send multi-time All-Star, 2019 WNBA champion, and Olympian Ariel Atkins to Chicago for the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft, the right to swap 2027 first-round picks, and a 2027 second-round pick.

It’s two young teams, shaking things up by taking opposite approaches.

And in this case, the Mystics are Bill, where the Sky are Hal.

Development, fit, and the unknown are the big areas surrounding WNBA draft picks. And if you’re the Sky, there’s no guarantee that whoever you’d take at No. 3 would be as good as the known quantity of Atkins. Atkins is a floor spacer, solid defender, and a bucket (some would say an, ahem, walking bucket, heh) that Chicago needs.

On the positive side, Atkins fits in with Courtney Vandersloot, Kia Nurse, Angel Reese, and Kamilla Cardoso. She’s also core-eligible for 2026, which is going to be a key year as non-rookie tier contracts are expiring around the league, aligning with the new CBA and contract structure that is expected. By being able to core Atkins, Chicago is able to essentially turn this into a two-year deal, which is big for a franchise that struggles to attract free agents.

On the other hand – how much does that exactly move the needle? The Sky finished 13-27 last year, at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Does Atkins make them better? Hell yeah she does. But does she make them a contender?

That’s … unlikely.

Even factoring in the second-year development of Reese and Cardoso, it’s hard to see a path to the Sky competing for a title this year or next year, which is what the Sky have to be counting on – as well as making Chicago an interesting landing spot for future players.

But it’s a very Hal approach for a very Hal franchise. Short of patience. Making potential short-sided moves that leave the future of the franchise a big question mark. Remember that pick swap in 2027 and if it has any impact on the Sky not being able to land Juju Watkins, Hannah Hidalgo, or Madison Booker.

As for the Mystics, their Bill approach of looking at the long game was on full display with this trade. The Mystics now have the No. 3 (via Sky), No. 4, and No. 6 (via Dream) picks in this draft. 

After the new CBA is worked out, the rookie pay scale is likely to go up, meaning the Mystics are able to lock in three rookies to team-friendly (eat the rich) deals. 

That is with the assumption that they keep the picks.

See, Paige Bueckers is the nearly unanimous No. 1 pick in the draft, assuming that she doesn’t return to UConn for another season. Returning to UConn for another season would allow her to enter the WNBA under the new rookie contract structure, maximizing her potential earnings. 

But she also said prior to the 2025 season that she was ready for her last UConn media day.

There are also rumblings that Bueckers isn’t thrilled to go to Dallas, per The Athletic’s Sabreena Merchant.

"Also, there's been a lot of buzz about whether Paige actually wants to go to Dallas, given the instability with that organization and political climate in Texas.”

With the Mystics having three of the top six picks of the draft, they have more than enough ammo to entice Dallas from moving off of the No. 1 pick. 

While Bueckers and Olivia Miles are the consensus No. 1 and No. 2 pick in the draft, Dallas has to at least consider a deal that would include all three Washington picks to move off of No. 1.

If the Mystics keep the picks, adding Sonia Citron, Dominique Malonga, and Kiki Iriafen to Aaliyah Edwards and Shakira Austin helps the Washington rebuild go to the next phase.

You know, the long game.

Just like Bill.

The Top 10 List

With every edition of the Walking Bucket, there's going to be a top 10 list that has to do with the topic at hand.

This week, I present to you the official top 10 list of Stephen King movie adaptations (the ones that I'm familiar with, cinephiles):

10. Secret Window (2004)

9. The Monkey (2025)

8. Children of the Corn (1984)

7. The Green Mile (1999)

6. It Chapter Two (2019)

5. Carrie (2013)

4. Misery (1990)

3. It (2017)

2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994)

1. The Shining (1980)

God Dammit

Speaking of movies ...

Oh wow look the first commercially available home assistant robot. And it looks absolutely HAUNTING.

[image or embed]— Conell (@conell.bsky.social) February 23, 2025 at 6:26 PM

Watch one fucking movie. I beg you.

Check This Out

The Bay Area just held NBA All-Star weekend, and while I truly believe that not watching All-Star games will make you a happier person, good things did come out of the weekend.

One of the highlights, for me, was this interview that Meghan Hall of USA Today's For the Win had with the reigning, defending, undisputed best player in the WNBA and M'VP, A'ja Wilson.

Check it out.

Until Next Time

Keep an eye out on your mailbox for the next Walking Bucket. I have some fun things planned in this space over the next few weeks.

Until next time.

I love you awesome nerds.