Former Sky guard Ariel Atkins settles in as everything changes around her

Nothing about Ariel Atkins’ fresh start with the Sparks has gone as planned. Not one thing. Kelsey Plum, the superstar guard she was supposed to pair with in the backcourt? Traded to the Mercury at the deadline. Raegan Pebley, the general manager who took the big bet on Atkins? Fired weeks earlier. And the team that talked about championship aspirations during training camp? Dropped to 10th place after losing to the Sky on Wednesday night. Ownership now says they're open to taking a step…