Skylar Diggins Just Landed in Chicago and the Sky's Injury List Is Already Out of Control

The Chicago Sky are kicking off their 2026 season Saturday night in Portland against the expansion Fire, and they're doing it with a seven-time All-Star trying to fill a leadership void while half their roster sits on the sideline. Welcome to the rebuild.

Skylar Diggins is the headliner here. The 35-year-old came over from the Seattle Storm, where she averaged 15.5 points and 6.0 assists last season. She's the experience play, the veteran anchor Chicago desperately needs right now. Star point guard Courtney Vandersloot, a five-time All-Star, tore her ACL last June and is still rehabbing. So Diggins stepping in to lead the backcourt from day one? That's not luxury. That's necessity.

Chicago's Guard-Heavy Rebuild Is Bold, But the Injury Report Is Brutal

Coach Tyler Marsh didn't hold back when talking about his guard-heavy roster. "I don't think you can go wrong with a lot of good guards, capable guards," he told reporters. "It's not like we're just stock holding a bunch of players. It's players that can contribute and we're going to find ways to utilize them."

The Sky added depth with Rickea Jackson and Azura Stevens up front, then loaded the backcourt with Natasha Cloud, DiJonai Carrington, and Jacy Sheldon. They also drafted Gabriela Jaquez out of UCLA in the first round. But here's the problem: Carrington (foot) and Stevens (knee) are both sidelined to start the season. Vandersloot is still out. Chicago won't even play at home until May 20 against Dallas. They're opening with a four-game road trip, and the injuries are piling up fast.

Portland's Fire Are Building Something Different

The expansion Fire are starting their inaugural season with four straight home games, including matchups against the New York Liberty and Connecticut Sun. Coach Alex Sarama, 30 years old, is leaning on defense as the foundation. "I feel in a pretty good place with where our defense is at," Sarama said. "The offense is gonna take a little longer. Just a new system, players doing a good job getting used to it."

Portland grabbed forward Bridget Carleton with the first pick of the expansion draft, then added guards Carla Leite and Sarah Ashlee Barker and guard/forward Haley Jones. Barker is locked in on the grind. "When people make mistakes, we pick each other up," she said. "There's a lot of effort and energy, and you can't teach effort and energy. But you can teach the mistakes, you can teach the Xs and Os, you can teach the defense."

Saturday night in Portland, two franchises going in completely different directions tip off. The Sky are trying to rebound from 10 wins last season and fighting through injuries. The Fire are starting fresh. This should be interesting.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.