Dorothy

In the immediate aftermath, Natasha Cloud was given a technical foul for complaining to the officials. After the game, Cloud again went after the refs, saying they "failed to protect Rickea."

"On top of the points of emphasis that were emphasized at the beginning of the season, their ultimate job is to control and protect the players in this game," Cloud continued. "And I think that this group today failed to do so. ... Truthfully, I think it's bullshit.

"You can be mad at me if you want to, but I'll be damned if we keep getting players hurt in this league on any team because we refuse to control the game."

"I'm very excited that we are where we are. I feel like both sides got what they wanted," Jackson said after the trade. "It's just a great situation for both sides. I'm just happy to be here. I'm blessed to be here."

This is a cruel turn of events for Jackson, who appeared to be in the early stages of a breakout season, and is also dealing with significant personal matters off the court. While a torn ACL is no longer a death knell for a player's career, it remains a career-altering injury.

Ahead of this season, Pagliocca again wheeled and dealed to try and get the Sky back to the playoffs, and the early returns have been very positive. The Sky have the best defense in the league, are off to their best start since 2023 and are tied for second place with the New York Liberty -- the preseason favorite to win the title. Other teams are already taking note.