Rickea Jackson's absense was felt: Takeaways from the Chicago Sky home opening loss to Dallas

The Chicago Sky returned to Wintrust Arena on Wednesday night with mixed emotions.

The team played in front of its home crowd for the first time this season. But, they were doing so trying to fill the void left by Rickea Jackson’s season-ending injury against an offensively powerful team in Dallas.

It seemed possible. The Sky cut the Wings’ lead to just three with about two minutes left in the game.

That’s when that Dallas offense shined. Arike Ogunbowale, a story line that doesn’t get talked about as much as Paige Beuckers or Azzi Fudd, hit two 3-point shots to ice a 99-89 win for the Wings.

It was an example of how much the Sky are going to really miss Jackson.

Here are three takeaways from the Sky’s home opening loss to Dallas, where one absence loomed larger than any play on the court.

The Sky needed a Natasha Cloud

Few players in the league can affect a game like Natasha Cloud.

The guard, who curiously went unsigned through the first few weeks of free agency, landed in Chicago on a one-year deal worth over $550,000.

For whatever reason, Cloud went unsigned. Her presence is sorely appreciated in Chicago through the first four games of the regular season.

Cloud is a sit-down defender. She limited Paige Bueckers to just one bucket and forced her to commit two fouls. When the Sky needed a basket, Cloud went and got one. She wasn’t afraid to sacrifice her body to get a basket, too.

She finished the game with 21 points. That doesn’t touch on the number of plays she affected. 

It feels like the last time the Sky had a player who could affect both ends of the court this consistently was Courtney Williams. That’s just someone who had a relentless drive on offense and defense, plus the desire to make winning plays.

Cloud is with the Sky for the rest of the season. The roster will never be whole because of Rickea Jackson’s ACL tear, but these plays will mean more when Azura Stevens, DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot return to the court.

Rickea Jackson’s absence was felt today

After the Sky took a 22-16 lead after the first quarter, the Dallas Wings’ offense found a way to open up.

Beuckers, Arike Ogunbowale and Jessica Shepard all scored in double figures going into the fourth quarter. In the end, all three of those players and Azzi Fudd finished with double figures. Beuckers tied with Kamilla Cardoso for a game-high 24 points.

The Sky were outscored 21-16 in the second quarter and 34-26 in the third quarter.

The Sky really did miss Jackson.

During player introductions and player entrances, the team all wore Jackson’s No. 5 jersey in support. Coach Tyler Marsh talked about how the team is going to miss Jackson. It was apparent on both ends on Wednesday.

The Sky needed offense and defense on the perimeter. Jackson would have provided both against the Wings.

The Sky say they’re tough. That’s being tested

Before Wednesday’s game, Marsh talked about toughness being the team’s identity. 

"What they are is tough, and what they are is selfless," Marsh said pregame. "You hope that that continues to be part of our identity, and we've been talking the last couple days about not being able to run from who you are."

The Sky proved their toughness against the Lynx. They won a game on the road after losing their star player. On Wednesday, the Sky needed some more of that toughness to shine brighter than any absence.

It didn’t. It’s understandable, though. Losing a player of Jackson’s caliber needs a game or two to figure out. 

Shepard out-toughed the Sky in the paint and in the passing lanes. She recorded her second-career triple-double on Wednesday night. The Sky deserve credit for clawing back into the game down by as many as 12. But, Ogunbowale made her two tough 3-pointers to end the comeback.

The Sky need to figure out how to sustain toughness soon. The Lynx will test that toughness again on Saturday.