When you bring in players like Ariel Atkins, Courtney Vandersloot and draft rookies like Hailey Van Lith, the expectations are considerably high. But the Chicago Sky are learning the hard way that flashy moves in the offseason don’t always translate to wins on the court. A 7-16 record at the halfway mark? Yeah, probably not what Coach Tyler Marsh envisioned when he took the job. And just when you think it couldn’t get any messier, news came out regarding Angel Reese.

The Sky forward has been in the form of her life lately. She averaged 18.2 points and 14 rebounds in her last 9 games heading into the All-Star weekend. But the best part of this stretch has to be her efficiency. She has been shooting close to 53% from the field. That’s how you silence your critics and win over your haters!

But her performances haven’t resulted in wins. The Sky have lost 3 games in a row, and nothing has quite changed since the All-Star break as many assumed it would. But a major reason for this is injuries. When they last faced the Lynx, Ariel Atkins went down hard while trying to slip past Courtney Williams, and it’s been downhill ever since. Not a single win.

The Sky are low on guard depth with Courtney Vandersloot already out for the season with an ACL injury, and they got hit with another big blow as Reese, who has been playing the role of primary facilitator for this team, has seen her playing status change to questionable due to back issues before the game against the Seattle Storm. Guess carrying the entire team came with a side effect. Even superheroes need a chiropractor sometimes!

This could potentially be the second game Reese misses with an injury. Just before the All-Star break, Reese sat out a game against the Dream with a leg injury, and the result was disastrous–a 37-point blowout defeat. Tyler Marsh and co. would not want to relive that, but with the likes of Reese, Atkins, and Michaela Onyenwere out, it could spell trouble for the Windy City franchise.

Reese is averaging a team-high 12.5 rebounds and 3.7 assists. Yes, you read that right. Despite averaging just 3.7 assists per game, she is currently the assist leader of this team after the injury to Sloot ruled her out for the season. That’s how bad the guard depth is for the Sky right now. But Reese playing as a primary facilitator isn’t really helping the Sky–she’s turning the ball over at an alarming rate. This is something the Bayou Barbie even addressed.

Angel Reese addresses her turnover issues

After the July 14 game against the Minnesota Lynx, where she had 22 points and 10 rebounds on 9-14 shooting from the field, one glaring issue stood out: the turnovers. She gave the ball away 5 times that night, and it wasn’t a one-off either. In fact, she leads the league in turnovers this season, averaging 4 per game. Shocking for a forward! To her credit, she didn’t dodge the topic and addressed it head-on in front of the media.

“This is a new role (point forward) for me…that’s no excuse. I just have to watch film and be better…I just gotta get the ball to where it needs to get to faster…I know we’re making the right read…we’ll continue to get better,” she said, taking full responsibility. But oh, the irony! Just when it looked like she was ready to tidy things up, she turned the ball over 9 times in the very next outing.

This is clearly an area Reese will need to tighten up. We’ve already seen her improve her shooting efficiency, and knowing the kind of player she is, she’ll always strive to get better. It remains to be seen if her role changes or if she continues to be a point forward. But one thing is certain! Coach Marsh would much rather have Reese turning the ball over while making plays than sitting next to him on the bench, cheering on for her teammates!