It was a cold night in Chicago, and the Sky’s home debut turned into a storm they couldn’t weather. The Liberty rained down a WNBA-record 19 threes in a 99-74 blowout. But amid the wreckage, all eyes turned to Angel Reese—whose career-worst game was reflected by her own coach’s post-game comments. “Double-edged” doesn’t quite cover it. Marsh’s pregame comments offered support—but they now cut both ways.
After the demolition, Tyler Marsh tried to ease pressure on his star center. When asked what was preventing Reese from finding her offensive rhythm after a rough opener, he said:
“I think it was just… some of them were just rushed on this. I mean, that was really it… But I mean, Angel knows that we have confidence in her… It’s not going to be often that we have a ton of nights like this.”
But then again, this is a second “night like” the one against the Fever— but only worse.
Against New York, Reese shot 0-for-8 from the field, 2-of-6 from the line, and committed five of the team’s 23 turnovers. It marked the first time in 136 games—college or pro—that she failed to make a single field goal. That streak stretched back to 2021. Even her 12 rebounds, including eight on the offensive glass, couldn’t disguise a glaring absence: points.
The message from Marsh now rings hollow, or perhaps heavier. He defended her, yes—but he also acknowledged the root of the problem: rushed decisions, lack of execution. “It’s just a matter of doing it,” Marsh said. And now? Reese couldn’t.
This unraveling comes days after the bruising loss to Indiana, where Caitlin Clark’s hard foul on Reese triggered a flagrant and sparked tensions. Reese was vocal about the WNBA’s subsequent investigation into racial abuse from fans, telling reporters:
“There’s no place in the league for that… Being a part of an organization that really supports me and loves me is something I just couldn’t imagine not being a part of.”
That love was on full display from the stands Thursday night. Fans in No. 5 jerseys shouted encouragement, held up prom invites, and defended Reese to anyone who’d listen. But support, while emotionally powerful, can’t fix stat sheets.
The Liberty exposed Chicago’s weak spots. Despite Marsh’s effort to spread the floor and open the paint for Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, the team shot just 36.2% overall. Vandersloot, Allen, and Banham carried the scoring load, while Reese’s presence in the post produced groans with every missed layup. At one point, a technical foul on Reese stalled the team’s best run of the night.
Postgame, Marsh didn’t lash out—he looked inward. “Three weeks and two games together, it’s tough to be a championship caliber team,” he admitted. “We want to play consistent Sky basketball for 40 minutes.” But with Reese, consistency is still a theory, not a reality.
Pundits like Nick Wright have already sharpened their critiques. “Right now, Angel Reese is a world-renowned rebounder—and little more,” he said earlier this week. After another no-show on offense, that assessment stings a little less like a hot take and a little more like fact.
There’s no denying Reese’s toughness. She has weathered social media storms, on-court clashes, and racial abuse with composure. But as we all know, rebounds are second chances. But how many second chances can one player get before it’s no longer the timing, or the system—but the shot itself?
More to follow…..
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