Rickea Jackson Gets Unfortunate Injury Update For Chicago Sky
The Chicago Sky are off to a great start this season, but unfortunately, they will be without one of their top stars for the remainder of the WNBA season.
On Sunday, the team achieved an 86-79 win over the Minnesota Lynx, but forward Rickea Jackson suffered one of the most brutal injuries in sports, tearing her left ACL. With 5:24 left in the second quarter, she hurt her knee and required help from teammates to get off the court.
After the game, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh didn’t have any immediate update on Jackson, saying she was in “decent spirits” and would have imaging done to determine the severity of her injury.
However, the unfortunate news arrived on Tuesday morning via ESPN’s Alexa Philippou that Jackson will miss the rest of this season due to her torn left ACL.
General manager Jeff Pagliocca issued a statement alongside that update, saying the team was “devastated that Rickea suffered this injury, but we are confident she will make a full recovery.”
More news:Sophie Cunningham Responds to Critics After Block Celebration Goes Viral
“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,” Pagliocca said in his statement.
Jackson, a 6-foot-2 forward from Tennessee, played her first two seasons in the league with the Los Angeles Sparks. Chicago traded Ariel Atkins to the Sparks last month as part of their big roster moves this offseason.
Before her injury, she was the Sky’s leading scorer with 18 points per game, also averaging 4.8 rebounds and 2 assists. Chicago was off to a strong start, too, with a 3-1 record to begin this early part of the WNBA season, tying them with the New York Liberty in the Eastern Conference.
They’ll need to find ways to adjust without Jackson in the lineup. In Sunday’s win, their starting rookie, Gabriela Jaquez, led the team with 20 points and eight rebounds.
Chicago also received 13 points off the bench from Rachel Banham and eight points from guard Aicha Coulibaly. Center Elizabeth Williams played 14 minutes, finishing with two points and eight rebounds.
The Chicago Sky feature other talented stars who are missing games due to injuries, including DiJonai Carrington, who is recovering from foot surgery, and Courtney Vandersloot, who is also recovering from surgery to repair her torn ACL last June.
However, several other players with injuries might be able to contribute sooner, including seven-time All-Star Skylar Diggins, who missed Sunday’s game with an eye injury, and Azura Stevens, who is recovering from a knee injury. The team has yet to rule out either player for their next game.
That arrives on Wednesday, when the Sky will visit Paige Bueckers, Azzi Fudd, and the Dallas Wings.
More news:Dave Portnoy Rips WNBA for Lack of Caitlin Clark Promotion
For more about the Chicago Sky and WNBA, visit Newsweek Sports.
2026 NEWSWEEK DIGITAL LLC.
This story was originally published May 19, 2026 at 9:13 AM.