Sky forward Isabelle Harrison is not unfamiliar with season ending injuries.
Last year, before playing a single minute for the Sky, Harrison tore her left meniscus forcing the team to adjust to her season-long absence on the fly. This year, Harrison is the player the Sky are leaning on to adjust to rookie Angel Reese's season-ending left wrist injury.
"It really wasn't a conversation," Harrison said. "It was just, 'Izzy, you're now in the lineup.' But I really didn't need one. This isn't unfamiliar for me."
Sunday against the Wings was Harrison's first start for the Sky since preseason last year.
Harrison started the year on a minutes restriction. She's been a full go for the Sky since mid-june, playing an impactful role coming off the bench. Coming into Sunday's game, Harrison was averaging 5.5 points and three rebounds playing 14 minutes per game for the Sky.
"I just know when I go in I want to bring what I always do, which is my defense," Harrison said. "Being up to touch, and able to guard their posts. They have great posts. Communication is something I bring always and a veteran presence. I've been here before and now we're trying to make a playoff push. I know what it takes to get there."
The Sky still have a grasp on their sixth consecutive postseason appearance. Their upcoming game against the Dream on Sept. 17 will likely have significant implications because of the league's tiebreaker rules.
The first tiebreaker goes to the team with a better record in head-to-head matchups. The Sky currently have a 2-1 advantage against the Dream who they've been in and out of a tied position with for the eighth and final playoff spot.
"[Making the playoffs] is our mission," Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. "We're not a team that's just out thereplaying. We want to win. That's what we said from the very beginning of this season. So, nothing stops the mission."
2025 WNBA draft
The Sky will have two picks in the first round of the upcoming WNBA draft in April. Whether or not one of them is a lottery pick will be determined by their finish this season.
The bottom four teams in league standings are automatically entered into the draft lottery. The likelihood of each team landing the No. 1 pick is based on their cumulative record over the previous two seasons.
The Wings own the rights to the Sky's 2025 first-round pick via a pick swap. This means that if the Sky do fall out of the playoffs and can land the No. 1 pick via the lottery, the Wings would utilize the swap.
Late additions
Reese's season-ending injury means the Sky could add a player to their roster. First, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca will have to petition the league for a hardship exception.
The league's basic hardship exception is for teams with two players who are out with an injury or illness. The first player, in the Sky's case it's center Elizabeth Williams, has to have been out for at least two games. Williams suffered a season ending injury (torn meniscus) in June. The second player, Reese, has to have missed at least one game and be determined by a team physician to be out at least an additional three games.
The Sky currently have 10 available players and just five remaining games after Sunday's against the Wings. At this point, the Sky are likely to finish the season with the players they have available.