Rickea Jackson’s season-ending injury leaves the Sky in a hole.
A 6-foot-2, 22-points-per-game sized hole.
Their first attempt to fill the spot came Wednesday against the Wings, starting 5-10 guard Natasha Cloud in Jackson’s place. Cloud showed off her pace, versatility, and driving ability, scoring 15 points and grabbing 7 rebounds in the home opener.
But the first game without Jackson, a 99-89 loss, also highlighted how difficult it is to beat a good team without an elite closer and shotmaker like Jackson. When Wings stars Paige Bueckers and Arike Ogunbowale took over the fourth quarter, the Sky failed to respond.
Losing Jackson also leaves the Sky undersized and undermanned.
Only two players on the Sky’s active roster — Kamilla Cardoso and Elizabeth Williams — stand taller than 6 feet. Wings forward Jessica Shepard took advantage, recording a triple-double of 18 points, 12 assists, and 10 rebounds.
The Sky entered Wednesday with only eight fully rostered active players, plus two development players in Aicha Coulibaly and Maddy Westbeld, who are only eligible to play in 12 games apiece.
That means the Sky are eligible for a hardship contract, which would allow them to sign a player to a short-term deal while they wait for their cavalry of injured players to return. The team is exploring that option ahead of Saturday’s rematch with the Lynx.
The longer-term plan, coach Tyler Marsh said, is to first see what the roster looks like once it’s healthy.
“I think we have enough right now,” Marsh said. “I think what we’re looking at is for the players that we have to be healthy. We haven’t really had a good glimpse of that yet. Once we do, we’ll have a better understanding of what holes still need to be filled. We got a lot of quality players that need to come back. We’ll get them back slowly but surely. I’m really pleased and proud of what the group that is healthy has been able to do thus far.”
Azurá Stevens, Courtney Vandersloot and DiJonai Carrington — all starter-quality players — have been rehabbing injuries without clear return timelines.
The most immediate fix would be getting Stevens back. The 6-6 stretch big is the closest thing on the roster to what Jackson offered — scoring, perimeter shooting and length. She’s also the nearest to returning.
Marsh said the medical staff believes Stevens could be available Saturday. But she sat out against the Wings and has yet to return to 5-on-5 action in practice.
Eye, eye captain
Point guard Skylar Diggins took a shot to the face in Phoenix last week and missed a game in Minnesota. But after seeing several eye specialists she was cleared to play Tuesday and returned to the starting lineup against the Wings.
Wise beyond her years
The consistent message from Sky coaches and players about Gabriela Jaquez is that their No. 5 pick in the 2026 draft is “not a rookie.” Or at least she doesn’t play like one. She’s averaging 12.5 points in 30 minutes per game and making plays that ooze veteran savvy.
“You can tell she’s been around pros her whole life,” Diggins said.
Jaquez’s older brother, Jaime Jáquez Jr., just finished his third season with the Miami Heat.
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