Throw a pity party for the Sky, as long as you invite the Fever too

How much pity do the Sky deserve for their injury woes this season? The team often says no one’s feeling sorry for them, and they might be right. Every team faces injuries, and this season is shaping up to be one of the worst across the league.

But some teams have it worse than others. And since doling out pity fairly is one of sports fans’ most important duties, let’s take a closer look at the landscape.

The Sky’s strongest case for sympathy lies in their Tragedy of the Point Guard. Courtney Vandersloot — one of the best to ever play the position — tore her ACL after just seven games with the Sky.

And it didn’t stop there. Rookie Hailey Van Lith has been in and out of the lineup since the All-Star break, and the Sky had to waive veteran point guard Moriah Jefferson after she missed most of the season. That’s led to 57 games missed by Sky point guards, the most of any team in the league.

Meanwhile, a third of the league hasn’t had to deal with any point guard injuries at all.

So, if you think point guards are essential, then yes — you should feel sorry for the Sky. But some pity might also be in order for their arch-nemesis: the Fever.

Starting point guard Caitlin Clark has missed more games than she’s played, and now both of the Fever’s backup point guards are out for the season. Sydney Colson tore her ACL, and Aari McDonald fractured a bone in her foot. Despite all this, the Fever have managed to win 17 games to the Sky’s eight.

But here’s where the Sky have a unique claim to pity: Their three best players have missed 50 games due to injury, the most in the league. In addition to Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins missed a stretch after the All-Star break with a calf injury, and Angel Reese will miss her fifth straight game against the Fever.

The Fever, on the other hand, have had more luck. Both of their All-Stars, Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston, have stayed healthy.

That said, this comparison isn’t foolproof. Why not measure games missed by the top five players instead? What if Kamilla Cardoso should be in the Sky’s top trio instead of Vandersloot? If you substitute Cardoso in, then the Sky’s best players have actually missed fewer games than the Fever’s. And if you factor in starting fives, well, we’d need to redo this analysis entirely.

A perfect pity formula eludes us. Nonetheless, it’s clear that the Sky deserve a solid helping of it — as long as you save a little for their nemesis, too.

Atkins feeling good

In her two games back since recovering from a calf injury, Atkins is settling in nicely. She’s averaging 11.4 points per game and shooting 61% from the field. While still on a minutes restriction, Atkins says she doesn't feel tentative and isn’t focused on the injury.

“I’m just letting it rock,” she told the Sun-Times. “It actually feels really good.”

The hardest part, she admits, is still the recovery. “The next day kinda hurts,” she said.

Reese’s rehab

Head coach Tyler Marsh said Reese has stepped away to rehab her back. Reese didn’t travel with the team to Indiana.