The Chicago Sky won’t have a new training facility for the 2026 season. Their $60M facility at Bedford Park, which was under construction and projected to open by the mid-2026 season, is facing a delay, according to Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca. Following the revelation, WNBPA Executive Director Terri Jackson has issued a strong statement against the Sky franchise.

“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,” Jackson said, as per Front Office Sports’ Colin Salao.

“After 20 years in this league, it is long overdue for Chicago’s ownership to recognize how to properly resource and support professional (women) athletes.”

Jackson’s statement comes in the wake of the latest updates regarding the training facility. Speaking to reporters, GM Pagliocca revealed that the facility will open in November, but the team can use it starting next season.

Pagliocca also clarified that multiple factors are behind the delay. “The delays are frustrating, but there’s challenges in construction: weather, supply chain, and materials.”

However, this latest setback is far from the only delay this construction project has faced. Originally stated to be completed by December 2025, Jeff Pagliocca explained that the Chicago Sky’s new facility has undergone a major expansion.

While the initial plan was based on 40,000 square feet, it has since expanded to 80,000 square feet. This is one of the primary reasons for the delay, along with the unavailability of building materials.

The estimated cost of the facility has spiked immensely. According to The Athletic, the plan’s initial budget was around $38M. But Pagliocca has confirmed that by the time it is completed, it will be over $60M.

Unfortunately, similar to the most recent delay, adverse weather conditions pushed the timeline to mid-2026. Now, for the reasons mentioned above, the franchise has faced another roadblock.

These persistent delays have left the team without a proper facility, causing them to switch bases multiple times. The team initially started their training at the University of Illinois, Chicago. The Athletic reported that they have also trained at Loyola University Chicago and the Wintrust Arena.

This latest delay has further fueled the frustration around the franchise, but players had been raising concerns even before this.

Chicago Sky Players Have Already Expressed Their Frustration With the Persistent Delay in Their Training Facility

“We met with the team. There’s value in practicing where you play. And without the facility being at 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,” the GM explained while announcing the least delay.

However, even before this delay, one of Sky’s veteran stars, Skylar Diggins, expressed her frustration in an interview with the Sun-Times earlier this month.

“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… But it’s hard to perform at a certain level without those [resources].”

Veteran center Elizabeth Williams has also doubled down on this lack of training facility.

“It’s disappointing. I think on their end, it is as well, because they had expectations for us and brought us in with those expectations as well. On their end, not being able to get that done sucks.”

The Chicago Sky are currently 12th in the WNBA standings with a 9-16 record. While they’re not out of the playoff picture just yet, they need to turn things around for a realistic chance.

They have strung together two wins for the first time since June 27, but it may be safe to assume that yet another delay for their training facility won’t do anything to lift the team’s morale.