The Chicago Sky franchise landed the fifth overall pick in the upcoming WNBA draft and might well be targeting UCLA talent as a perfect fit in the current scenario. The franchise has two more picks on the draft night, which could be a very challenging ask for the side.
But the challenges don’t end there for the franchise and its owners. According to the reports, Chicago Sky’s minority owner Steven Rogers has taken legal action against the team owner, which is putting a bad light on the franchise well before the season’s free agency signings and WNBA draft.
Chicago Sky Owner Faces Legal Action
The franchise’s early investor and now a minority owner, Steven Rogers, filled a lawsuit against the owner, Michael Alter. The allegations include Alter abusing his financial control of Sky’s operations to “self-deal” stakes to boost his own shares while decreasing those of minority partners.
Alter’s lawyer, Robert Chapman, addressed the press over the lawsuit and said, “We are aware of the lawsuit. The lawsuit is completely meritless. We look forward to defending our case through the appropriate legal channels and believe this matter will be disposed of quickly. This matter will not affect the Sky’s operations. Because this is active litigation, neither Mr. Alter nor the Chicago Sky will be commenting further.”
A Chicago Sky minority partner is suing principal owner Michael Alter, alleging he violated his fiduciary duty to investors by misallocating and misrepresenting franchise value for his own benefit, per The Chicago Tribune.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) February 1, 2026
Minority owner Steven Rogers alleges that Alter abused… pic.twitter.com/T4bnXr2e6B
The allegations state that the franchise owner violated his fiduciary duty to investors by misallocating and misrepresenting franchise value for his own benefit. According to Forbes, the Chicago Sky is valued at $240 million, ranking seventh among WNBA franchises. It’s also the world’s 12th valuable women’s sports team.
Scroll to continue reading
Trending WNBA News
Steven Rogers filed the lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court and will have the hearing on Thursday.
On the court, though, 2026 will be a big season for the Sky franchise, with the side hosting the WNBA All-Star game.
Chicago Sky Lands Massive 2026 All-Star Weekend At United Center
In 2025, the Indiana Fever hosted the All-Star game, which went viral after the players showed their discontent with the CBA terms. The 2026 season will not have that issue, and the Sky team will host the 2026 WNBA All-Star weekend.
Dwayne Wade, who is also a minority owner of the Sky franchise was excited with the news and said, “Those teams allowed me to dream. They made basketball feel bigger than the game. They made it feel possible. What we come here to do is not about the game of basketball necessarily. It’s about what this game of basketball and what this opportunity can really bring to the city, to those kids that were like myself.”
Dwyane Wade excited for WNBA All-Starhttps://t.co/VfmUODn1Oq
— Debmallya Chakraborty (@DebmallyaC93340) January 17, 2026
While the side will have many big stars on the home court during the All-Star weekend, the fans are hoping for a star-studded franchise to also challenge for the title in the 2026 season.