Hailey

Van Lith

Due to a lingering ankle injury, Van Lith has been ruled out for a third consecutive game. The Sky have primarily relied on Sevgi Uzun to handle the backup point guard responsibilities, even when Van Lith is healthy, so nothing changes there. Chicago will only have three games remaining on its schedule after Friday, so it’s fair to wonder if the team will eventually decide to shut down Van Lith.

Wednesday’s game will be the second Van Lith has missed due to an ankle injury. While her absence does not significantly impact Chicago’s rotation, the rookie does miss out on opportunities to play with the Sky long eliminated from playoff contention. On Tuesday, Sky coach Tyler Marsh said Van Lith is still dealing with pain in her ankle and does not have a clear timeline for return.

The six shot attempts were the fewest in a game for Atkins since August 13 against the Sun, which was the game in which she was injured. However, the veteran guard did record eight assists on Saturday, the most in a game for her this season. With the Sky long eliminated from playoff contention, Atkins’ playing time will be worth watching in the team’s remaining games. However, with Hailey Van Lith dealing with a nagging ankle issue, the Sky may not be able to play Atkins less to evaluate its first-round pick further.

Van Lith will miss Saturday’s game with a lingering ankle injury, but her absence does not significantly impact Chicago’s rotation. The rookie played four minutes in each of Chicago’s last two games, which would likely remain the case if she were available on Saturday.

Each of the Sky’s three players was upgraded to available ahead of Thursday’s contest. They were all active in the loss to Seattle on Tuesday, which marked Reese’s return from a back injury that had sidelined her for multiple weeks. Chicago was recently eliminated from playoff contention, but will still look to build positive momentum down the stretch of the season. Reese and Atkins will likely remain reliable options for fantasy managers.

The Sky’s most efficient and effective offense on Friday night was when it was run right through Cardoso. Sky guards in Sevgi Uzun and Hailey Van Lith either founder her posted up on mismatches or took advantage of her speed when she rolls on some pick-and-roll actions. Front court partner Elizabeth Williams found Cardoso on high-low passes for two of her four assists. Also, Cardoso was the Sky’s most effective playmaker. She registered five total assists, her season high. She created scores for four different teammates including Uzun, Williams Ariel Atkins and Rachel Banham. She set screens for Uzun and Banham while she found Williams and Atkins when they had advantageous driving lanes.

Both Van Lith and Atkins have been upgraded to available for Friday night’s home game against the Valkyries. Van Lith played in 11 minutes off the bench during the Sky’s previous game in Connecticut against the Sun. Atkins only played in 9 minutes on Wednesday after she was ejected following her involvement in a second-quarter altercation between Sun guard Bria Hartley and Sky wing Rebecca Allen. Atkins should play more than 9 minutes on Friday and Van Lith’s minutes could fluctuate above or below her 11 minutes from Wednesday.

Atkins and Van Lith are back on the injury report, but both are on track to play Friday night. The former only played nine minutes in Chicago’s most recent game, a loss to the Sun on Wednesday, as she was ejected for her role in a second-quarter altercation. Van Lith played 11 minutes off the bench and should take on a similar workload against the Valkyries.

Onyenwere (knee) and Van Lith (ankle) were both active and participated in the Sky’s most recent game against the Dream, despite being listed as questionable in the lead-up. Similarly, the two players were listed as questionable for Saturday’s matchup with the Fever before being upgraded to available. Their workloads shouldn’t be any different than those in recent games, with Van Lith likely playing spot minutes off the bench while Onyenwere potentially starts on the wing.

Van Lith played a few minutes at the end of Thursday’s loss to the Dream, but the rookie struggled with an ankle injury after the All-Star break. Her availability will not significantly impact Chicago’s rotation, as the Sky have relied on Rachel Banham and Sevgi Uzun to run the point.