Annie Costabile, the Chicago Sky beat writer for the Chicago Sun Times, joins “9 Good Minutes” on WGN News Now to talk about this new-look team ahead of their home opener Friday.

CHICAGO — The city’s new-look WNBA team will get to play in front of the home fans for the first time during the 2023 regular season on Friday – and it’s safe to say they generated a little bit of excitement before that contest.

In their first two games of the WNBA season, the Sky defeated the Lynx and the Mercury on the road, doing so in front of a national audience in the latter contest last Sunday. While it’s just a small part of a league-record 40-game regular season, it was a statement from the team to the WNBA that the reorganization of their team doesn’t mean a lack of success.

But those fans who arrive at Wintrust Arena on Friday night for the home opener against the Mystics on Friday at 7 p.m. will certainly see a different group than the one that left the court last September in the WNBA Playoffs.

Candace Parker along with Courtney Vandersloot and Allie Quigley, faces of the Sky franchise, are gone. Two-time WNBA All-Star Kahleah Copper leads this group that only has two other returners that are currently playing for the team – 2022 All-Rookie team selection Rebecca Gardner and Gary native Dana Evans.

Most fans will see a lot of new players, like guards Marina Mabrey and Courtney Williams along with center Elizabeth Williams, in the contest against Washington Saturday and then the Wings in a 5 p.m. contest on Sunday.

Annie Costabile, the beat writer for the Chicago Sun Times, joined WGN News Now’s “9 Good Minutes” this week to talk about this new-look team along with the opening of their season. Watch her interview with Larry Hawley in the video above.