The Chicago Sky had high hopes for Rickea Jackson and its new lineup, but her injury complicates plans.
Chicago spent the better part of the WNBA offseason reloading. It traded Angel Reese to Atlanta and brought in multiple free agents, including Skylar Diggins and Azurá Stevens. The Sky also moved Ariel Atkins to Los Angeles and brought in Jackson as part of its new-look lineup.
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Through the first four games of the season, Jackson, who looked very comfortable in head coach Tyler Marsh’s system, was averaging a team-high 18 points and was on a career-high pace with 4.8 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game. She also averaged 1.8 blocks per game, tied for the team lead with center Kamilla Cardoso. However, Jackson suffered a torn ACL just four games into her Chicago tenure and will miss the remainder of the season.
“We’re devastated that Rickea suffered this injury, but we are confident she will make a full recovery,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in the statement announcing the injury. “Rickea was playing at an All-Star and All-Defensive level early in the season. We are certain she was primed for a career year.”
“You feel sad for Rickea. She was in a really good place mentally and physically. She was playing great basketball,” Marsh said. “We’re just surrounding her with love and comfort, and letting her know that we’re here for (her) in any way possible that she needs, and we’re not going anywhere.”
Jackson was a crucial part of the Sky’s 3-1 start and the team’s league-best 97.2 defensive rating, begging the question: How do the Sky replace Jackson’s production? The answer is rather complicated.
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The Sky are already without guards Courtney Vandersloot (knee) and DiJonai Carrington (foot), who are still recovering from injuries suffered last season. Stevens (knee), another starter for Chicago, is also still out with an injury.
What’s more, there isn’t an easy fix for recouping what Jackson brings to the floor. The Sky are very thin at the forward position and could look to apply for a hardship contract should at least two players remain out with injury for at least three weeks. Chicago could also explore activating a developmental player. Any player on a development contract can be activated for up to 12 games or be converted to a standard roster contract at any time. However, neither of those options guarantees fit or instant production.
For Chicago, it will likely have to be a by-committee approach, and the team may not figure out what that looks like for several games. Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of time for the franchise to find answers either. The Sky start life without Jackson when it hosts its home opener Wednesday, May 20, against the Dallas Wings (9 p.m. ET, USA Network).
“I think the ultimate satisfaction is seeing how the players who are healthy continue to fight, while those that are unhealthy right now are working their tails off to get back, and how aligned the two are in terms of how the communication has been with (Vandersloot), with DiJonai, with Azura,” said Marsh.
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“We’re all extremely pleased and proud to come away with this road trip 3-1 and looking forward to getting back home.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Rickea Jackson injury forces Sky to confront depth after hot start
