Forward Isabelle Harrison will not travel with the Chicago Sky for the team’s opening weekend games against the Minnesota Lynx and Phoenix Mercury, the team confirmed Wednesday.
More Top Picks Why Do My Eyes Hurt After A Day At The Screen
Coach James Wade said Harrison is sidelined by an unspecified injury but declined to provide further updates, despite a social media post by Harrison’s mother bringing her daughter’s availability into question.
Harrison’s mother, Ida, posted on Twitter late Tuesday that the forward “is awaiting surgery for a meniscus repair on this Friday 5/19/23.” The tweet was deleted Wednesday morning.
The Sky declined to confirm any details about whether Harrison will require surgery or how long of a timeline she will need to return.
Harrison has been unavailable for at least a week. She did not participate in the Sky’s media day May 10 and did not travel to Toronto for the final preseason game Saturday. Wade said on media day Harrison’s absence was not due to injury.
The Sky will be required to release updates via the WNBA game-day injury report at 5 p.m. Thursday ahead of their season opener Friday against the Lynx in Minneapolis (7 p.m., The U).
Meniscus surgeries can require a wide array of recovery timelines ranging from six weeks to three months. Having surgery Friday likely would cause a player to miss at least 16 of the 40 regular-season games.
A long-term injury to Harrison would throw a revamped Sky frontcourt into an even more fraught position. The offseason departures of Candace Parker and Azurá Stevens had been offset somewhat by the acquisitions of Harrison and center Elizabeth Williams.
But with Ruthy Hebard unavailable to start the season as she returns from giving birth on April 11, the frontcourt would be severely limited by an additional absence. That would further challenge an undersized Sky team that will depend on rim protectors such as Williams and Harrison to maintain a rigorous perimeter defense as the cornerstone of its identity.
Wade said preseason injuries would not affect his decision-making ahead of Friday’s final roster deadline and he will retain six backcourt and six frontcourt players regardless of current status. The Sky on Wednesday waived guards Feyonda Fitzgerald and Kayana Traylor, their second-round draft pick this year.
After Friday’s opener, the Sky will take on Brittney Griner and the Mercury on Sunday in Phoenix (3 p.m., ESPN).