CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky’s top draft pick might not play in the WNBA this season — but the front office isn’t worried about the timeline of the 19-year-old Slovenian they selected at No. 10 on Monday.

General manager Jeff Pagliocca couldn’t be higher on Ajša Sivka. He didn’t expect her to be available toward the end of the first round — after all, it’s not exactly common to find a 6-foot-4 forward with the fluid perimeter shot and on-ball creativity of a guard.

Pagliocca believes Sivka will be an “outlier” talent. But he also can’t guarantee that she will play this season.

“There will be ongoing conversations,” Pagliocca said. “We drafted her because we want her to play here, so hopefully sooner rather than later because she’s got a chance to be special.”

It’s not uncommon for European players to defer their move to the WNBA, sometimes waiting years after their draft selection to come to the United States — if they come at all. Often this is due to a lack of communication in which teams make selections without ever discussing with the players their interest in the WNBA.

For instance, the Los Angeles Sparks selected German forward Leonie Fiebich in 2020 and traded her draft rights to the Sky in 2021. But she didn’t sign with a WNBA team until February 2024 — a year after the Sky traded her rights to the New York Liberty.

Fiebich said when she signed with the Liberty that she never had spoken to anyone from the Sparks or Sky despite the selection and transfer of her draft rights.

This situation is different. Pagliocca said the Sky had “a lot of really good conversations” with Sivka leading up to the draft, which encouraged him about her intentions to play in the WNBA if she was drafted. And Sivka, who attended the draft in New York, voiced her own enthusiasm about transitioning to the league and building a future with the Sky.

“I’m just really excited to play with all these great players like Angel Reese,” Sivka said. “I can’t wait to start.”

One major obstacle stands between Sivka and the WNBA this season: FIBA Women’s Eurobasket.

Beyond the salary cap and different style of play, international commitments are typically the main reason European players decline to participate in the WNBA — and Eurobasket is at the heart of this conflict. Taking place every two years, the tournament represents the pinnacle of competition in Europe.

Sivka previously represented Slovenia in 2023, when she was the youngest player in the tournament at 17. She started for Slovenia in the Eurobasket qualifiers earlier this year, and the team won its group with a 5-1 record.

Slovenia’s first game in the group phase is scheduled for June 18 in Bologna, Italy, and the tournament ends June 29 in Piraeus, Greece. Many teams call players into extensive tune-up camps to prepare for Eurobasket. That would limit Sivka’s ability to report to Chicago until midway through the WNBA season.

In 2020, the WNBA implemented a prioritization rule that requires players to report to camp by May 1 or face potential fines and suspensions. But that rule doesn’t apply to players until after their second year in the league, so Sivka wouldn’t face any penalties if she didn’t report to Chicago until after Eurobasket.

That gives the Sky flexibility as they navigate the upcoming season with Sivka. The front office is exploring different options, which might include allowing her to defer her rookie season to 2026.

But the bottom line remains the same: Pagliocca and the Sky believe Sivka is a foundational piece, regardless of when she makes her WNBA debut.

“Imagine that girl two, three, four years from now — how special she might be,” Pagliocca said. “We think she’s great. We think there’s not a lot of her. Players at that size that can shoot the ball, you always want them around.

“In our league, shooting defines a lot of success. So, yeah, that’s a player we want to keep here forever.”

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