The Chicago Sky spent most of the 2023 season reeling — first from the departure of key players, then from the sudden midseason exit of coach and general manager James Wade.
Despite that turmoil, the Sky are only two games away from securing a spot in the WNBA postseason as they prepare for their home finale against the Minnesota Lynx on Friday.
Here’s what to know about the final days of the team’s push for a fifth straight playoff berth.
Who’s next in line
The Sky spent the final quarter of the season with one team to beat: the Los Angeles Sparks.
The teams entered the last 10 games of the season with matching 12-18 records. Both remain evenly paced at 16-22, but the Sky earned the upper hand in a tiebreaker by beating the Sparks on Aug. 29 in Los Angeles.
Injuries have begun to turn favor away from the Sparks, who have been playing without Nneka Ogwumike (foot) and Chiney Ogwumike (ankle) in addition to earlier losses of Lexie Brown (season-ending illness) and Katie Lou Samuelson (maternity leave).
The Sparks face a tough final weekend: a road game against the New York Liberty followed by a home game against the Seattle Storm, who were eliminated from the playoffs last week.
What threat do these final games pose?
The Sky only need to keep pace with the Sparks to retain the No. 8 seed, but that will be a challenge as they face two postseason-bound competitors: the Lynx on Friday, then the Connecticut Sun on the road Sunday.
The Lynx clinched a playoff spot with a win against the Phoenix Mercury on Sunday, but they’re still fighting to improve their seeding as they sit only one game back of the Dallas Wings. They overcame a turbulent start behind the leadership of All-Star Napheesa Collier, who averages 21.3 points and 8.4 rebounds.
The Sky and the Lynx are 1-1 in their two meetings this season, but the Lynx have been peaking at just the right time as they jumped up the standings in the last few months.
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The Sky and Sun have played in the semifinals the last two seasons. Despite clinching a playoff spot, the Sun enter the weekend four games behind second place and seven ahead of fourth, with no ability to rise or fall with the results of the final two games.
The Sun’s core has remained the same, with prolific double-double producer Alyssa Thomas finding another gear in a record-setting season. The Sky are 2-1 in the season series against the Sun, but Sunday’s meeting could prove make-or-break if they haven’t secured a playoff.
How healthy are the Sky?
The Sky suffered early blows to their roster with season-ending knee injuries of Isabelle Harrison and Rebekah Gardner, who were set to provide key rim protection, perimeter defense and scoring in the paint.
Interim coach Emre Vatansever reiterated to media this week that both players are not expected to return, although Gardner has continued to travel with the team and practice at a limited capacity.
The main concern for the Sky in the final weeks of the season was the absence of center Alanna Smith, who suffered a concussion against the Storm on Aug. 27.
Smith returned for Tuesday’s win against the Indiana Fever, logging four points and three rebounds. With a limited arsenal of available frontcourt players, Smith’s presence will be key alongside Elizabeth Williams.
How does the field look?
More than any prior year, this WNBA season has been hyper-focused on two supersized teams: the Las Vegas Aces (32-6) and the Liberty (31-7), both of whom punched their tickets to the playoffs weeks ago.
But only five of the teams on track to make the playoffs have a winning record — the Sun and Wings in addition to the Aces, Liberty and Lynx.
If the Sky earn the No. 8 seed, they will enter the toughest gauntlet of the postseason schedule, facing the No. 1 seed — either the Aces or the Liberty — in a best-of-three series.