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Chicago Sky overhaul roster after draft and Angel Reese trade
ESPN analyst Meghan McKeown breaks down the Chicago Sky’s draft picks, new additions like Gabriela Jaquez and Rickea Jackson, and what success looks like after a major offseason shakeup.
The Chicago Sky took a gut punch this week.
Rickea Jackson, one of the team's top acquisitions this offseason and the Sky's best offensive player, was diagnosed with a torn ACL and will miss the rest of the 2026 season.
Jackson suffered a non-contact injury with 5:24 left in the second quarter of Sunday's win over the Lynx and was helped off the floor.
"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 a statement. "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. Our world-class medical staff will work hard with Rickea, who is one of the toughest players in the league, to get her back on the court."
Not only does it hurt the Sky's offensive capabilities, but it also hurts the team's rotations. Here's what it means for the team.
What we know:
Jackson wasn't just playing high-level basketball. She was playing some of the team's best basketball.
She was averaging 18 points per game and had her best game against the Mercury. Jackson dropped 29 points on the road, showcasing her offensive capabilities.
She also acclimated well to the Sky's new-look roster after she came to Chicago from Los Angeles.
"She was in a really good place mentally and physically," Sky coach Tyler Marsh said. "Obviously, it's a blow basketball-wise. I think more so than anything, you hurt and feel for the person first and we're just surrounding her with love and comfort and letting her know that we're here for it in any way possible that she needs."
The Sky won the game against Minnesota. It was an impressive road win, but it was more impressive how the team immediately began playing for Jackson.
It was a sign of how beloved Jackson had become as a teammate.
"We got to talk to her at halftime and make sure she was okay back there," Sky guard Jacy Sheldon said. "Going out the rest of the game was just to play for her. Win for her. I think we really dug into our toughness, our competitiveness and won that game. I think that game goes to her."
The Sky lost a great teammate. They also lost a player who was playing the best basketball of her young career.
Jackson was the most important offseason addition when considering what she could mean for the team's long-term plans. For the first time since Marsh took over as head coach of the Sky, it felt like he bent his offensive plans around Jackson's skill set as opposed to asking the players to fit their skill sets to Marsh's scheme.
Now, she'll have to undergo a difficult rehab process instead of seeing through what's been a promising start to the 2026 season.
"She brings so much versatility on both ends of the floor," Marsh said. "Obviously, the way that she can score the ball is huge and she was on her way to having what might've been arguably her best year of her career so far."
What's next:
To fill the void left after Jackson's injury, the Sky don't have many options that can completely fill those shoes.
The team isn't going to find a player who can replicate what she can do offensively. Defensively, they've added Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington and Azura Stevens. But, the latter two have yet to recover from their own injuries this offseason and Cloud's offensive game isn't the same as Jackson's.
The team will have to recreate her in the aggregate.
"It means everybody has to step up and do a little bit more," Marsh said.
What does sting is that Jackson was a forward. The Sky are more guard heavy. While both Carrington and Stevens recover from their injuries, the Sky don't have many candidates to play the small forward or power forward positions, depending on what lineups Marsh uses.
He's used Jackson at both the three and four early this season. That might resolve itself when Stevens makes her debut, which could be this weekend. Carrington could be out until after the WNBA All-Star Weekend. It means the Sky will be a little smaller on the perimeter and on the glass.
Filling the offensive void Jackson leaves is a little less complicated. That's thanks to the emergence of rookie Gabriela Jaquez and third-year guard Sheldon.
Jaquez showed her offensive touch against Minnesota, scoring 20 points with a few clutch baskets in the final minutes. Sheldon, playing for her third team in as many seasons, has played 30 minutes or more in all but one game this season.
She made clutch baskets to close out a win over Golden State, and had four steals against the Lynx.
The team will need time to figure out how to approach Jackson's absence. But, the Sky do have a veteran roster of players who aren't afraid to face some adversity.
"We've all been there. But, I think in big, big moments, players step up,' Sheldon said. "We all had a moment of that on this road trip, which is really fun to see. It builds trust within one another and builds confidence out there. So I think when the moment calls, obviously all of us are going to be ready."