THE Chicago Sky are set to rethink their end-of-season strategy after star signing Angel Reese suffered from a Season-ending wrist injury Friday.
The loss of Reese, who led the WNBA in rebounds (13.1 per game) and the Sky in minutes played (32.5), is clearly a blow. The 6-foot-3 forward had started all 34 games before her injury, anchoring the Sky at both ends of the floor.
So what’s next? Let’s answer some of the biggest questions facing the Sky (13-22) with five games left in the regular season.
What’s next for Angel Reese?
Reese shared a detailed timeline of her injury in a TikTok video Sunday night. She said she suffered a hairline fracture at the base of her left hand while trying to catch herself after being knocked to the ground by a foul in the third quarter Friday. victory against the Los Angeles Sparks.
Reese said she chose to have surgery because playing through the injury could have led to arthritis or further damage.
She will have surgery on Tuesday, then spend four weeks in a hard cast, then another two weeks in a soft cast. She will then be able to begin rehabbing her hand, which means she likely won’t return to basketball until late November or December.
Timing always works in Reese’s favor as she prepares to compete in the Unrivaled’s inaugural seasona 3-on-3 league created by WNBA stars Napheesa Necklace And Breanna Stewart with games in Miami from January through March. Reese said she expects to be back in full form by the start of Unrivaled’s season.
Who will replace Reese for the remainder of the season?
The sky will turn to the veteran Isabelle Harrison to fill the starting power forward position. Harrison got the job Sunday landslide victory against the Dallas Wingsrecording 21 points, nine rebounds, two steals and a block.
While their physical profiles appear similar, the 6-foot-4 Harrison is a fundamentally different player than Reese, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Harrison doesn’t bring the same power to the rebounds, so she won’t fully make up for the volume of rebounds and second-chance points that Reese provides. But Harrison’s mid-range shooting will be valuable as the Sky try to even the court. to create space for Kamilla Cardoso in the low post.
Harrison, 30, who is in her seventh WNBA season, is one of the Sky’s most experienced players, a big factor in a smooth transition to the starting lineup. While the Sky could become less explosive in some areas of the court, Harrison should be well-equipped to avoid a significant drop-off in her production.
Can Sky sign a player on a tough contract?
The Sky placed two players on the season-ending injured list after starting at center Elizabeth Williams The Red Devils underwent knee surgery in June, which qualifies them to sign a replacement player, but it is unclear whether they would do so with so few games remaining.
If two or more players are sidelined due to injury or illness for at least three weeks, the WNBA allows teams to sign an additional player to a contract worth 75% of the applicable minimum base salary. The second injured player must be sidelined for two games before teams can submit paperwork for a hardship exception, so the Sky won’t be eligible until Wednesday’s game against the The Washington Mystics.
The Sky aren’t necessarily concerned about salary space – they have more than $170,000 left – but they would have to free up a roster spot if they wanted to sign a new player.
That may not be necessary for the final stretch of the season. Coach Teresa Weatherspoon typically sticks to an eight- or nine-man rotation, meaning Harrison will absorb Reese’s workload and Brianna Turner will move up in the secondary rotation. Given the offensive talent available, the Sky will likely continue to play with their current roster.
What is a realistic expectation without Reese?
The loss of Reese clearly reframes the final two weeks of the season – but the Sky remain in playoff position and showed last week they aren’t inclined to give up on him over the final five games.
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Back-to-back wins on Friday and Sunday gave them a head start on The Atlanta Dream (12-23) for the final playoff spot. The Mystics (11-24) have two games in hand, so a Sky A win on Wednesday would almost entirely narrow the race to a two-team race.
The Sky currently hold the tiebreaker over the Dream with a 2-1 lead in the season series, though the two teams meet again in the penultimate game on September 17 in Atlanta. The next tiebreaker is conference record, which the Sky (5-12) also currently hold over the Dream (4-12).
The teams face similar strengths in terms of schedule to close out the season: Sky must play third The Connecticut Sun (25-10) and second place Minnesota Lynx (26-9) over the next five games, while the Dream face the Lynx and the first New York Liberty (29-6).
The Sky will need to make several crucial adjustments to maintain their current momentum. Cardoso will need to take on a heavier load as a rim protector and rebounder. And they will need to be comfortable with a smaller secondary rotation that will lean toward guard-heavy to accommodate Harrison’s move into the starting five.
Still, the Sky should have just enough wiggle room to sneak into the playoffs even without their star rookie.
Beyond that, of course, expectations should be lightened. The Sky have never been a serious first-round contender — and losing Reese all but guarantees an early exit if they get there. For a team built around young players like Cardoso and Chennedy CarterA playoff spot would provide a valuable learning experience while also allowing the Sky to secure a top-six draft pick to continue building their roster.
