It came as a shock to everyone present inside the Wintrust Arena on the 11th of July when the Chicago Sky beat the league leaders, the Minnesota Lynx, 87-81. No one saw this coming. A side with just 6 wins till then had managed to pull off an upset. The Lynx entered the game with a 72.7% chance of winning, but it wasn’t to be. Just two days later, though, the Lynx bounced back with a 91-78 win. So, was that first game just a fluke? Well, ask Angel Reese and she will tell you otherwise!
The Sky had just shown the whole world that they can go up against anyone. Ariel Atkins led the charge with 27 points, while Angel Reese added a 19-point, 11-rebound double-double. But the Sky also had Kamilla Cardoso back in the starting lineup. She added 17 points and 15 rebounds to help the Sky script a historic win.
But the highs from that upset win quickly faded when Napheesa Collier dropped 29 points to lead the Lynx to a dominant 91-78 victory over the Sky. The loss only fueled the narrative that maybe the win was just a fluke for Angel Reese and co. But the Chicago Sky superstar was adamant about the fact that it wasn’t the case.
Speaking in the post-game conference, Reese said, “I feel like it gives us a lot of confidence. They didn’t run any special sets. It was the fact of turnovers, not boxing out, not fouling, getting back on defense….We know we can beat the best. It wasn’t a fluke the other night.” Ariel Atkins injured her leg right before the first half ended. The Sky had a 2-point lead heading into the second half, but with their backcourt depth already thin without Courtney Vandersloot, losing Atkins meant that the Sky had no control whatsoever.
Reese and co-conceded 19 turnovers, which led to 16 points. That was huge for Sky. To make matters worse, Michaela Onyenwere had to leave the game with what many feared was a concussion at the time. So no, it wasn’t about the Lynx dominating the paint or outshooting the Sky. The real issue was Chicago’s ongoing struggle with turnovers. The Windy City franchise has conceded the most turnovers in the W this year.
In tonight’s game, the Sky held the Lynx to just 34 points in the paint and shot 48.3% from the field, which is surprisingly better than Minnesota’s 46.5%. Even in their previous loss to the Lynx, it was a tight 75-80 battle. So it is quite clear that the Sky can take on anyone, provided they have their full team fit.
It definitely doesn’t hurt that Angel Reese is in the form of her life, breaking records left, right, and center! Let’s take a look at how Angel Reese has completely turned her season around!
Angel Reese continues to perform at a high level
Angel got 22 points on 9-14 shooting from the field while also grabbing 10 rebounds. This meant that she would go on to record her 9th consecutive double-double. Funny enough, no one in the league has recorded more double-doubles this season than Reese has during this stretch alone! Talk about dominating! But that’s not where it all stops!
Jul 6, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) comes down with the rebound in a pack of Minnesota Lynx players in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Matt Blewett-Imagn Images
Over her last 8 games, the Bayou Barbie is averaging 19.1 points, 14.4 rebounds, 4.1 assists, and 1.1 steals per game. And the best part? She is shooting 52.7% from the field. And according to Real Sports, she ranks top 5 in the entire WNBA this month in both points and rebounds. She has completely turned her season around!
The Sky have a chance to turn their season around as long as Reese continues to perform at this elite level. Whether this hot streak continues remains to be seen, but the fans are absolutely loving what she’s doing right now. What do you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!
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