the Chicago Sky will be missing a key piece in their lineup for Wednesday's game against the Washington Mystics as leading scorer Kennedy Carter has been ruled out due to health and safety protocols Carter who was the number four overall draft pick in 2020 has been a vital player for the sky this season averaging 17.2 points per game in her first season with Chicago after not playing in the WNBA last year this is a significant blow for the sky who are currently clinging to the eighth and final playoff spot with an 11 to 18 record they have a narrow one-game lead over the Ninth Place Atlanta Dream and are desperately fighting to maintain their position in the postseason race the mystics who are 10th with an 8 to 22 record are also in a must-win situation coming off a momentum boosting Victory against the fifth place Seattle Storm on Monday adding to The Sky challenges Chicago has been struggling since the WNBA resumed play after the Olympic break with a 1 to4 record in their last five games their most recent game ended in a heartbreaker as they lost 77-75 to the Los Vegas Aces on Sunday Carter had tied the game with a clutch three-pointer with just about a second left on the clock but the aces Asia Wilson sealed the win with a buzzer beater while the sky will miss Carter's scoring prowess rookie Angel Reese has been making headlines with her extraordinary performances on the boards Reese is on an unprecedented streak of three three consecutive games with 20 or more rebounds and she currently has 21 double doubles this season she's just one double double away from breaking the rookie season record in that category showcasing her dominant presence in the paint Reese's remarkable rebounding run will be crucial for the sky especially with Carter out of the lineup the sky will need ree to continue her dominance on the boards to create second chance opportunities and help fill the scoring Gap left by Carter's absence the m on the other hand will also be without a key player as starting center Shakira Austin is sideline due to a left ankle injury with both teams missing vital contributors this game could come down to which team can better adjust and capitalize on the opportunities presented for the sky this game is pivotal holding on to the final playoff spot means every win is crucial and with the Atlanta Dream and other teams in close Pursuit they can't afford to slip up the absence of Carter will certainly make the task more difficult but if Reese can continue her historic run and the rest of the team steps up the sky have a chance to secure a much needed Victory as the sky prepare for this critical matchup all eyes will be on Reese and how she can impact the game with the stakes this High the sky will need every bit of her rebounding and defensive prowess to stay in the playoff hunt