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"path": "/chicago-sky/2026/05/20/filling-jackson-hole-sky-explore-options-for-replacing-injured-star",
"publishedAt": "2026-05-21T01:24:16.246Z",
"site": "https://chicago.suntimes.com",
"textContent": "<p><b>Rickea Jackson's</b> season-ending injury leaves the <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky\" target=\"_blank\" >Sky</a> in a hole.</p><p>A 6-foot-2, 22-points-per-game sized hole.</p><p>Their first attempt at filling it came Wednesday against the Wings, starting 5-10 guard <b>Natasha Cloud </b>in Jackson's place. Cloud is versatile, tough and athletic. But no amount of versatility covers for the fact that Chicago is now missing its best offensive weapon.</p><p>They’re also undersized and undermanned.</p><p>Without Jackson, only two players on the Sky's active roster — <b>Kamilla Cardoso</b> and <b>Elizabeth Williams</b> — stand taller than 6 feet.</p><p>The Sky entered Wednesday with eight fully rostered active players, plus two development players in <b>Aicha</b> <b>Coulibaly</b> and <b>Maddy</b> <b>Westbeld</b>, who are only eligible to play in 12 games apiece.</p><p>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.</p><p>The longer-term plan, coach <b>Tyler Marsh</b> said, is to first see what the roster looks like once it's healthy.</p><p>\"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.\"</p><p><b>Azurá Stevens, Courtney Vandersloot</b> and <b>DiJonai</b> <b>Carrington</b> — all starter-quality players — have been rehabbing injuries without clear return timelines.</p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><h3><b>Eye, eye captain</b></h3><h3></h3><p>Point guard<b> Skylar Diggins</b> 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.</p><p>Diggins also said the Sky's season-opening road trip — four games in eight days — was the most grueling she's experienced in her 12-year career.</p><h3><b>Wise beyond her years</b></h3><h3></h3><p>The consistent message from Sky coaches and players about <b>Gabriela Jaquez</b> 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.</p><p>\"You can tell she's been around pros her whole life,\" Diggins said.</p><p>Jaquez's older brother, <b>Jaime Jáquez Jr</b>., just finished his third season with the Miami Heat.</p><p></p><bsp-list-loadmore class=\"PageListH\" data-module data-hide-authors=\"true\" data-hide-categories=\"true\" data-hide-dates=\"true\" data-show-loadmore=\"true\" ><a class=\"AnchorLink\" id=\"list-010001\" name=\"list-010001\"></a><div class=\"PageList-header\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title-wrap\" > <div class=\"PageList-header-title\"> Latest on the Sky and WNBA </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListH-items\" data-with-borders data-list-loadmore-items> <div class=\"PageListH-items-item\"><div class=\"PagePromoB\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Sky's Natasha Cloud looking forward after her long wait in free agency\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/20/i-dont-have-an-answer-natasha-cloud-on-her-long-wait-in-free-agency\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/e6748ed/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4749x3179+19+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F64%2F97%2F8178e89c4f4ab19de5a264e2f67f%2Fcloud.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ce9bb63/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4749x3179+19+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F64%2F97%2F8178e89c4f4ab19de5a264e2f67f%2Fcloud.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Chicago Sky v Minnesota Lynx\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/ce9bb63/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4749x3179+19+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F64%2F97%2F8178e89c4f4ab19de5a264e2f67f%2Fcloud.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky\" >Sky</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/20/i-dont-have-an-answer-natasha-cloud-on-her-long-wait-in-free-agency\" >Sky's Natasha Cloud looking forward after her long wait in free agency</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Cloud said she still doesn’t know why it took so long to find a home.</div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1779302659000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/alissa-hirsh\" >Alissa Hirsh </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"618\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListH-items-item\"><div class=\"PagePromoB\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Sky forward Rickea Jackson's season ends with a torn ACL\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/19/rickea-jacksons-hot-start-to-the-season-ends-with-a-torn-acl\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fe10e69/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7136x4777+0+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F08%2F6d%2F554b669e455082517e04e5bf3b3c%2Fsky-mercury-basketball.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc92292/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7136x4777+0+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F08%2F6d%2F554b669e455082517e04e5bf3b3c%2Fsky-mercury-basketball.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Sky Mercury Basketball\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/fc92292/2147483647/strip/true/crop/7136x4777+0+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F08%2F6d%2F554b669e455082517e04e5bf3b3c%2Fsky-mercury-basketball.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky\" >Sky</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/19/rickea-jacksons-hot-start-to-the-season-ends-with-a-torn-acl\" >Sky forward Rickea Jackson's season ends with a torn ACL</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">An MRI revealed a torn ACL in Jackson’s left knee, which she suffered May 17 against the Lynx. There will be no easy answers for the Sky without her. </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1779224160000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/alissa-hirsh\" >Alissa Hirsh </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"633\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageListH-items-item\"><div class=\"PagePromoB\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-media\"><a class=\"Link\" aria-label=\"Rickea Jackson injured in resilient Sky win over Lynx\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/17/rickea-jackson-injured-in-resilient-sky-win-against-lynx\" ><picture data-crop=\"medium-4x3\"> <source type=\"image/webp\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/33b0051/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4656x3117+19+0/resize/490x328!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2Ffd%2Fe2f428a3431995c7f62ff9835ef1%2Fgettyimages-2276786300.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <source width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-srcset=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1bb25aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4656x3117+19+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2Ffd%2Fe2f428a3431995c7f62ff9835ef1%2Fgettyimages-2276786300.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" srcset=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" /> <img class=\"Image\" alt=\"Chicago Sky v Minnesota Lynx\" width=\"490\" height=\"328\" data-src=\"https://cst.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/1bb25aa/2147483647/strip/true/crop/4656x3117+19+0/resize/490x328!/quality/90/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fchorus-production-cst-web.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com%2Fbrightspot%2F98%2Ffd%2Fe2f428a3431995c7f62ff9835ef1%2Fgettyimages-2276786300.jpg\" data-lazy-load=\"true\" src=\"data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0iaHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmciIHZlcnNpb249IjEuMSIgaGVpZ2h0PSIzMjhweCIgd2lkdGg9IjQ5MHB4Ij48L3N2Zz4=\" > </picture> </a></div> <div class=\"PagePromoB-content\"> <div class=\"PagePromo-category\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky\" >Sky</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-title\"> <a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/chicago-sky/2026/05/17/rickea-jackson-injured-in-resilient-sky-win-against-lynx\" >Rickea Jackson injured in resilient Sky win over Lynx</a> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-description\">Jackson suffered a knee injury and had to be helped off the court. The Sky hung tough and will return home from their season-opening road trip 3-1. </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-byline\"><div class=\"PagePromo-date\"> <bsp-timestamp data-timestamp=1779069144000 data-promo=\"true\"> <template data-date-tpl>[month] [day], [year], [hour]:[minute][ampm] [timezone]</template> <span data-date> </span> </bsp-timestamp><span class=\"dot\"></span></div> <div class=\"PagePromo-author\"> <span>By </span><strong><a class=\"Link\" href=\"https://chicago.suntimes.com/alissa-hirsh\" >Alissa Hirsh </a></strong> </div> <div class=\"PagePromo-readingTime\"> <span class=\"dot-divider\"></span> <svg class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-icon\"> <use xlink:href=\"#icon-clock-reading\"></use> </svg> <span class=\"PagePromo-readingTime-text\"> <bsp-time-to-read data-article-word-count=\"624\"></bsp-time-to-read> read </span> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class=\"PageList-footer\"> </div> </bsp-list-loadmore><p></p>",
"title": "Sky explore options for filling hole created by Rickea Jackson's injury",
"updatedAt": "2026-05-21T01:34:30.478Z"
}