Sky forward Isabelle Harrison isn’t unfamiliar with season-ending injuries.
Last season, Harrison suffered a torn meniscus in her left knee during the preseason, forcing the Sky to adjust to her seasonlong absence on the fly. Now, Harrison is the player the Sky are leaning on to help them get through rookie Angel Reese’s season-ending injury to her left wrist.
‘‘It really wasn’t a conversation,’’ Harrison said. ‘‘It was just, ‘Izzy, you’re now in the [starting] lineup.’ But I really didn’t need one. This isn’t unfamiliar for me.’’
Harrison made her first start for the Sky since the preseason of 2023 on Sunday against the Wings at Wintrust Arena. She responded with a huge effort, scoring 21 points and grabbing nine rebounds in 32œ minutes in the Sky’s 92-77 victory.
Harrison started this season on a minutes restriction but has been a full-go since mid-June. Before Sunday, she was averaging 5.5 points and three rebounds in 14 minutes.
‘‘I just know when I go in I want to bring what I always do, which is my defense,’’ Harrison said. ‘‘Being able to guard their posts. They have great posts. Communication is something I bring always. I’ve been here before, and now we’re trying to make a playoff push. I know what it takes to get there.’’
After their victory, the Sky (13-22) still had a grasp on their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. They lead the Dream by one game in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The game between the teams Sept. 17 likely will have significant implications because of the WNBA’s tiebreaker rules. The first tiebreaker is better record in head-to-head matchups. The Sky have a 2-1 advantage right now against the Dream.
‘‘[Making the playoffs] is our mission,’’ coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. ‘‘We’re not a team that’s just out there playing. We want to win. That’s what we said from the very beginning of this season. So nothing stops the mission.’’
Looking ahead to the draft
The Sky will have two picks in the first round of the WNBA Draft in April. Whether one of them is a lottery pick will be determined by their finish this season.
The bottom four teams in standings are automatically entered into the draft lottery. The likelihood of a team landing the No. 1 pick is based on its cumulative record in the previous two seasons.
The Wings have the rights to the Sky’s first-round pick because of a pick swap. That means that if the Sky fall out of the playoffs and can land the No. 1 pick in the lottery, the Wings would use the swap.
Late additions
Reese’s season-ending injury means the Sky could add a player to their roster. First, however, general manager Jeff Pagliocca will have to petition the league for a hardship exception.
The WNBA’s basic hardship exception is for teams with two players who are out with an injury or illness. The first player — center Elizabeth Williams, in the Sky’s case — has to have been out for at least two games. Williams suffered a season-ending injury (torn meniscus) in June.
The second player — Reese, in this case — has to have missed at least one game and be determined by a team physician to be out at least three more games.
The Sky have 10 available players and five games left. At this point, they are likely to finish the season with the players they have.