The Chicago Sky are projecting excitement about their future after revamping just about everything in their franchise over the past year.
The team played their first season at Wintrust Arena (home of DePaul Blue Demons athletics) after playing in Chicago suburb Rosemont at the Allstate Arena since 2010. After two losing seasons, the club also hired James Wade to be the head coach and general manager for the 2019 campaign.
To mark the team’s return to playing in Chicago’s city limits, the team created a new logo to symbolize a fresh start.
Chicago Sky Primary Logo 2019 - Present
The primary logo starts with a sky blue basketball in yellow trim (reminiscent of the Golden State Warriors), with the iconic Willis Tower in the middle. The Sky nickname covers the lower third of the basketball, with a net shape beneath that. The city name is in black and white above the arc of the basketball.
The blue and yellow colors remain the same from the prior logo. When that logo was introduced, the colors were said to represent a sunny day in the Chi-town.
“(It’s) a beautiful day in Chicago between the blue sky and bright sunlight to highlight the spectacular skyline,” team President and CEO Margaret Stedner said at the time.
The black and grey colors were added to give the logo what the team calls a sleek, bold, and contemporary look.
“With the team’s move back to the city last season, it was the right timing for us to welcome in a new era of the Sky logo and brand,” current Sky President and CEO Adam Fox said in a press release. “We believe this new look is strong, modern, and refined; all traits that represent the next generation of Chicago Sky basketball.”
Chicago Sky Primary Logo 2006 - 2018
The logo is much more compact and sleeker than the prior version, which featured a basketball flying in an S-shape through the skyline of the Windy City. The new alternate logo contains only the basketball and Willis Tower elements, making it even more minimalist compared to its predecessor.
The old logo was the one used since the franchise’s inception in 2006. The team had a four-year run of success from 2013 - 2016, reaching the WNBA Finals in 2014 before getting swept by Phoenix Mercury.
The current rebuilding period began with the trade of star Elena Delle Donne after the 2016 season.
The Sky has gained some momentum since playing in the city. While at Allstate Arena, the team averaged in the lower half of the league in attendance, but the Sky was sixth (out of 12) last season, averaging 6,358 fans per game despite their losing record.
The first season with the new logo got off to an impressive 5-2 start as the team looks to make a return to the playoffs. They will be looking for contributions from first-round draft pick Katie Lou Samuelson out of the powerhouse University of Connecticut, while Courtney Vandersloot (3rd overall pick in 2011 from Gonzaga Bulldogs) provides veteran leadership.
See the Chicago Sky logo history and team history.
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