Chicago Sky Confirm Key Starter is Lost for Season After Knee Surgery

Elizabeth Williams is done for the year, the team announced on Thursday.

May 21, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Chicago Sky guard Elizabeth Williams (10) fouls Phoenix Mercury guard Moriah Jefferson (8) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports / Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

On Thursday, the Chicago Sky announced what was ultimately inevitable-- Elizabeth Williams is done for the season. Per the team, Williams underwent surgery for the torn meniscus she suffered on June 6 and will miss the remainder of the 2024 season.

Williams suffered the injury against the Washington Mystics earlier this month and it was quickly identified as a serious meniscus issue The only update fans received from head coach Teresa Weatherspoon came days after Williams went down.

Weatherspoon said surgery would be required but it was unclear what specific kind of surgery Williams would undergo. That uncertainty is likely why it took a few weeks for Williams to go under the knife despite knowing it would need surgery for weeks.

Williams was playing well in the lead-up to the injury, averaging 10 points and 7 rebounds per game while helping the Sky to a 4-5 record to open the year. Since she went down, the Sky have stumbled, posting a 2-4 record in the six games Williams has missed so far. Now sitting at 6-9, Chicago is tied for third in a weak Eastern Conference but sit tied for eighth overall in the league.

Williams' production will be greatly missed but the Sky probably didn't just bring her in for her on-court work. The 10-year veteran has a lot of valuable experience that she can pass on to the team's pair of rookie forwards, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Those two are the future of the franchise and a large part of the future of the W as a whole. Helping usher them along in their first year as professionals is just as important a responsibility for Williams as putting up points and pulling down boards.

An unfortunate, if not expected, development for Williams and the Sky.