IYO SKY has spent most of 2026 near the top of the women’s division without much to show for it in the second half of the year. She won the Queen of the Ring tournament at Night of Champions in June by beating Liv Morgan, then lost to Morgan in the opening match of SummerSlam Night 1 on August 1 when Morgan retained the Women’s World Championship.Since then, SKY lost a Money in the Bank qualifying triple threat to Roxanne Perez on September 21 and beat Lyra Valkyria on Raw a week later. On the October 12 episode of Raw, she put herself forward as Raquel Rodriguez’s next Women’s Intercontinental Championship challenger in a backstage segment. Here are four directions WWE could take with her.

Going After the Women’s Intercontinental Title

This is the direction WWE has already started to set up. Raquel Rodriguez has held the Women’s Intercontinental Championship since beating Sol Ruca on the July 27 episode of Raw, and SKY challenged her in four-way title matches on WWE’s South America tour in September. Rodriguez came out on top in each of those matches.

SKY has never held the Women’s Intercontinental Championship. She has already won the NXT Women’s Championship, the WWE Women’s Championship, the Women’s World Championship and the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. Rodriguez is part of The Judgment Day, which has targeted SKY on Raw for months, so a program between the two would build on a story that is already in place. It would also give the title a challenger who is a former Women’s World Champion.

Chasing the Women’s Tag Team Titles

SKY and Rhea Ripley, who teamed as Rhiyo, won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship from The Kabuki Warriors on the January 5 episode of Raw. They held the titles for 53 days before losing them to Nia Jax and Lash Legend on the February 27 episode of SmackDown. Alexa Bliss and Tatum Paxley won the titles by beating Fatal Influence on the October 9 episode of SmackDown.

Ripley is recovering from surgery for a torn meniscus and does not have a return date, so a Rhiyo reunion would have to wait. SKY teamed with Sol Ruca to beat Rodriguez and Perez on the August 10 episode of Raw. A run with Ruca would give both women something to do while Ripley is out, and the tag titles can be defended on either brand.

Turning Heel

SKY spent close to two years as a heel in Damage CTRL after debuting on the main roster with Bayley and Dakota Kai at SummerSlam in 2022. That run included her Money in the Bank win in 2023 and her cash-in on Bianca Belair at SummerSlam later that year to become WWE Women’s Champion. She turned face in July 2024.

A heel turn would change how she is presented after a string of near misses since SummerSlam. Losing to Morgan and falling short in a Money in the Bank qualifier give her reasons to be frustrated, and her run as a heel included her biggest singles win in WWE. On the other hand, she has become one of the more popular women on the roster as a face, and a turn would mean dropping her story against The Judgment Day.

Moving to SmackDown

A brand switch would give SKY a new set of opponents. Chelsea Green holds the WWE Women’s Championship and is set to face Morgan for the Women’s Crown Jewel Championship at Crown Jewel. SmackDown also has Jade Cargill and Charlotte Flair, who are in the middle of their own issues after Cargill attacked Flair before the October 9 tag title match.

SKY has not had an extended program with Green, and a move would also put her on the same show as Ripley when Ripley is cleared. That could lead to either a reunion or another match between the two, after they fought over the Women’s World Championship in 2025.

Which Direction Makes the Most Sense for IYO SKY

The Women’s Intercontinental Championship is the best option. WWE has already put her in title matches with Rodriguez on the road and had her name herself as the next challenger on Raw. Winning a title she has never held in WWE would give her a clear accomplishment after losing at SummerSlam, and she would be a champion who can work with almost anyone on the Raw roster.

A heel turn would be the most interesting idea on this list, but it does not fit where she is. SKY has spent months fighting The Judgment Day, and turning her now would end that story without a payoff. A move to SmackDown makes more sense once Ripley is healthy, and the tag titles work better as a secondary goal than a main one. If WWE keeps her on Raw and puts the Women’s Intercontinental Championship on her before the end of the year, she will be in a much stronger position heading into 2027.