Forward Rickea Jackson suffered a knee injury in the first half of the Chicago Sky’s 86-79 road win over the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday.
The third-year player went down with 5:24 to play in the second quarter, and the Sky ruled her out for the remainder of the game. The Sky were trailing 30-27 at the time of the injury, which occurred after Jackson bumped a Lynx defender and landed awkwardly on her left leg on the next step.
“She’s in decent spirits,” Sky coach Tyler Marsh told reporters after the game. “We’re waiting to evaluate everything, but she’s proud of the team for continuing to fight while she was out.”
Marsh didn’t divulge whether there was any early sense as to the scope of Jackson’s injury. Asked whether Jackson will need to get an MRI, Marsh said, “We’re still waiting to see, but probably.”
Jackson had 6 points, one rebound and one block before her injury.
Rookie Gabriela Jaquez scored a team-high 20 points to go with eight rebounds for the Sky, who gained a 40-38 lead just before halftime and never trailed again. Natasha Cloud added 11 points and seven assists, and Jacy Sheldon finished with 10 points and four steals. The Sky’s bench outscored the Lynx’s 28-10.
Cloud was assessed a technical foul in the immediate moments after Jackson’s injury for an exchange with the officiating crew. Elaborating after the game, Cloud said the officials failed to control the game and protect players. On the play before Jackson’s injury, Cloud told officials she felt the game was “getting a little out of control.”
“Truthfully, I think it’s bulls—,” Cloud said. “Obviously, I needed to get a tech. A lot of people think I’m a crash-out, but it was very intentional because I will be damned if a player gets hurt on our team because of something that was controllable by the referees.”
There was no foul called on the play resulting in Jackson’s injury. Cloud said the Sky would be sending that play in to the league to review.
Marsh echoed Cloud’s sentiments, saying, “We expect the officials to officiate in a way that protects players.”
Jackson was acquired by the Sky during the 2026 offseason in a swap with the Los Angeles Sparks for veteran guard Ariel Atkins, giving Chicago a new young forward to pair with Kamilla Cardoso after trading Angel Reese. Jackson was averaging 22 points, six rebounds and 2.7 assists entering Sunday’s contest, as the Sky won their first two games on the road before falling to the Phoenix Mercury.
Jackson, the No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, has been relatively healthy as a pro. She played in all 40 games as a Sparks rookie and 38 of 44 games in her second season. Chicago, however, has been beset by injuries to start this season. Azurá Stevens, DiJonai Carrington and Courtney Vandersloot have yet to suit up, and guards Skylar Diggins and Cloud have each missed one game.
The Sky return to Chicago for their home opener Wednesday against the Dallas Wings with a 3-1 record after playing their first four games on the road.
