Azura Stevens Boosts Chicago Sky After Devastating Rickea Jackson Injury

The new-look Chicago Sky have gotten off to an encouraging 3-2 start in the young 2026 WNBA season, but they suffered a devastating loss last Sunday.

The Sky acquired forward Rickea Jackson, the fourth overall pick in 2024, from the Los Angeles Sparks on April 12. Her arrival came shortly after the Sky traded All-Star forward Angel Reese to Atlanta in exchange for two first-round draft picks.

Jackson immediately proved the Sky right in trading for her, as she was the team’s leading scorer at 18 points per game. Then, she suffered a season-ending torn ACL in the Sky’s win over the Minnesota Lynx last Sunday.

There’s no such thing as replacing Jackson, but the Sky will receive a meaningful reinforcement this weekend.

ESPN’s Alexa Philippou reported Friday that veteran forward Azura Stevens will make her season debut when the Sky host the Lynx on Saturday afternoon. Stevens had been out with a bone bruise in her left knee, which she suffered during the Unrivaled season in February.

Stevens will also be a familiar face for Sky fans. The 2018 sixth overall pick began her WNBA career in Dallas before arriving in Chicago in 2020. She was a starter on the 2021 team that improbably won the Sky’s first WNBA title in franchise history. She signed with the Sparks in February 2023, and she averaged a career-high 12.8 points and 8.0 rebounds in Los Angeles last season.

One day before the Jackson trade became official, the Sky signed Stevens and seven-time All-Star guard Skylar Diggins to lucrative free-agent contracts. Stevens’ deal was for three years, with a $1 million salary this year, per Philippou.

The Sky will lean on veteran leadership from the likes of Diggins, Stevens, and Natasha Cloud as they pick up the pieces and adjust in Jackson’s absence.

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This story was originally published May 22, 2026 at 6:41 PM.