Emma Meesseman will sign with the Chicago Sky in her return to the WNBA, Rachel Galligan reported on Monday. The 2019 Finals MVP spent the 2021 season overseas with UMMC Ekaterinburg.
Up until now, Meesseman has spent her entire career in the WNBA with the Washington Mystics, who drafted her 19th overall in the 2013 WNBA Draft.
Signing Meesseman is a big pickup for the Sky, who are also officially re-signing 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. But a major piece of their core, Stefanie Dolson, has reportedly opted to sign with the New York Liberty on a multi-year deal. The status of Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot remains unknown.
A high-scoring power forward, Meesseman averaged 13 points, 5.3 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game in 2020. In 2019, she averaged 13.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. She was even better in the 2019 playoffs, averaging 19.3 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.4 assists en route to winning Finals MVP and the 2019 championship.
Reports from Kareem Copeland of the Washington Post also indicate that Tina Charles will not be returning to the Mystics. The former No. 1 overall pick joined the Mystics in 2020 from the New York Liberty. She did not play in 2020 but was a major presence on the court in 2021. Through 27 games, Charles led the league in points, averaging 23.4 points per game. She also added 9.6 rebounds, which ranked fourth in the league.