The Chicago Sky bet big on this season. In acquiring Angel Resse, Hailey Van Lith, and Ariel Atkins, they traded off their future picks. “You’re thinking about creating a winning culture so free agents look at you and say, ‘I want to go play there,'” Courtney Vandersloot reasoned the franchise’s moves. But so far, the team has got nothing to show for it. What was supposed to be a potential playoff season has turned into a mirror of the previous year–disjointed, glum, and hopeless. But the Sky has got reasons to keep going, but with caution.

Tied for the second-worst record in the league, going 8-22, the Windy City is in pretty big trouble. Not only for the fact that they’d end up missing a 2nd post-season appearance in a row, enter the off-season barely a likeable destination for free agents, but also because they’d risk handing a No.1 pick to the championship contenders.

“Chicago, their season has not gone the way they would’ve hoped. Ordinarily, you’d try to make a playoff push at this point of the season because Chicago does not own its 2026 first-round pick,” Sabrina Merchent noted on the No Offseason podcast with Zena Keita.

In 2024, when the Sky struck a deal to land No.7 pick for Reese, they gave Minnesota the no. 8 pick, 2025 second-round pick, and for the game-changer, an option to swap their 2026 pick if Sky’s was better. But in 2025, it only got sweeter for Cheryl Reeve & co. Because for the no.11 pick that brought in Van Lith, the Sky were giving the Lynx an outright ownership of their 2026 first-round pick.

So, if Tyler Marsh & Co. don’t pull up their socks now, they will be landing one of the highest odds for the lottery pick, thanks in part to their previous year’s 13-27 record. In any other scenario, it couldn’t get any better for the Sky– rest their star player, throw the season, bring in a young new talent from the star-studded 2026 class. But given Lynx practically own their pick, the Sky is left with nothing. So, the best scenario for Marsh & Co. given their position? Protect the future you already have.

“Angel Reese is your long-term future, you have got to be careful. Especially after seeing what we saw with Caitlin Clark having repeated muscle injuries in the same sort of area, I would imagine they’re going to be as judicious as possible with Angel in this upcoming stretch,” Merchent added.

Clark’s absence has been a highlight for all the wrong reasons this season. The reigning ROTY, as reported, wasn’t given ample practice time to get back into rhythm before she suited up after each injury. For the left groin strain, she was believed to have had just one session, speculatively resulting in the third injury. Sky cannot afford that for their star player who’s dealing with back issues. Not when she has been obliged to carry the bulk of the offensive burden.

With Vandersloot and Atkins sitting out, the six-foot-three forward has been the Sky’s cornerstone this year, averaging a 14-point double-double. While she continues to grow her game, the workload has been just as much, forcing her to sit out 4 games straight. While Reese is still listed as ‘day-to-day’, it’s pretty clear that the six-foot-three forward isn’t completely fit as of now.

But luckily, it looks like the Chicago Sky has understood the assignment! Heading into a major clash with the Indiana Fever, the Sky’s injury report demonstrates caution at its finest. Let’s find out exactly who’s gonna be playing, and who has been ruled out.

Chicago Sky shows its hands as Angel Reese headlines a concerning injury report

Let’s face it, Chicago is in the dying embers of their season. While they still have plenty of games left, the Sky isn’t in a position to make the playoffs. So, logically, it makes sense that they’re giving Angel Reese as much time as she needs to recover. She’s the franchise’s future, after all, so why jeopardise anything for a couple of extra wins and stats?

However, their most recent injury report has shown just how bad the roster’s ailments are! Angel Reese, for a fifth straight game, has been ruled out of the upcoming game alongside Michaela Onyenwere. Not only that, but Hailey Van Lith and Ariel Atkins are also considered questionable for the weekend clash against Indiana.

If Van Lith and Atkins are ruled out of the game, Chicago’s backcourt simply collapses. They will have to figure out how to deal with Indiana’s pace-and-space system while mitigating injuries on their end. Luckily, the Fever is also short-staffed. Reese’s rival doesn’t look like she’ll be playing this game, and that’s gonna make the biggest difference.

It will be interesting to see how the Chicago Sky fares, and when exactly Angel Reese will make her return to the court. There’s no point in rushing recovery only to get injured again. We’ve seen that firsthand this season, and we don’t want to see it again. So, the only thing left to do is wait.