Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson tore her left ACL in Sunday's win over Minnesota and will miss the rest of the 2026 WNBA season.
Chicago Sky forward Rickea Jackson has a torn left anterior cruciate ligament and will miss the remainder of the 2026 WNBA season, the team announced Tuesday.
Jackson, the team's leading scorer, sustained the injury in Sunday's 86-79 win over the Minnesota Lynx. An MRI revealed the torn ACL, and she will undergo surgery on a date to be determined.
"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."
Jackson, a 6-foot-2 forward, was averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and blocks this season. She posted 18.0 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.8 blocks per game, and entered Sunday scoring 22 points per game as the Sky's top scorer. She had emerged as one of the top offseason additions on any roster in the league.
The No. 4 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft out of Tennessee, Jackson came to Chicago in an April trade that sent two-time All-Star and five-time All-Defensive selection Ariel Atkins to the Los Angeles Sparks. Jackson had averaged 14.7 points and 3.2 rebounds in 2025 for the Sparks, who are off to a 1-3 start.
The injury adds to a mounting list for Chicago. Azurá Stevens (knee), DiJonai Carrington (foot), and Courtney Vandersloot (knee) have yet to make their season debuts because of various ailments. Skylar Diggins sat out Sunday's game with an eye injury, though coach Tyler Marsh has indicated that she is expected to return soon.
Even shorthanded, Chicago has played well. The Sky are 3-1, tied with the New York Liberty behind only one team in the standings. The reshaped roster also features Diggins, Gabriela Jaquez, Stevens, and Natasha Cloud.
Losing Jackson takes a heavy scorer off the floor. Chicago will lean on the rest of the roster to hold its early pace without its top scorer.
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