At 7–15, the Chicago Sky’s season has been anything but smooth sailing. Currently holding the fifth spot in the Eastern Conference out of six, the team has struggled to find consistent rhythm amid a rollercoaster campaign. A recent spark from rookie sensation Angel Reese, who’s been on a tear over the last six games, offered a much-needed lift, injecting life into a roster desperately seeking stability. However, the momentum was short-lived. A two-game skid has once again exposed the team’s uneven play, and now, another setback has hit hard. With Ariel Atkins sidelined, the Sky not only lose veteran leadership but one of their most reliable two-way players. As the season barrels forward, the question looms large: can the Sky weather another storm, or is the ceiling slipping out of reach?

After losing Courtney Vandersloot to an ACL tear for the season, the Sky’s locker room helplessly watched Michaela Onyenwere and Ariel Atkins on the sidelines. But as they say, every cloud has a silver lining. Amidst the ongoing woes surrounding the depleted roster, the franchise recently resorted to a solution that went viral online, thanks to Angel Reese.

Reese was quick to welcome the latest player on the Chicago Sky roster. The Chi-town Barbie publicly celebrated former NY Liberty guard Marquesha Davis joining her team. She shared a poster of Davis’ official signing on X (former Twitter) with the caption, “Let’s get it Q!” The Chicago Sky signed Davis under a hardship contract. They originally shared a poster of Davis with a caption explaining, “ROSTER UPDATE: The Chicago Sky has signed guard Marquesha Davis to a seven-day hardship contract. Welcome to Skytown!”

Often called Q after her Ole Miss teammates affectionately nicknamed the athlete “Que Que,” Marquesha Davis was inducted as the 11th overall pick in the 2024 W draft by the New York Liberty. According to official statement issued by the Sky’s front office, “She appeared in 29 games across two seasons with New York, totaling 32 points and 15 rebounds. She won a title with the Liberty in 2024.” Having said that, her performance has been underwhelming this season. Well, Davis has an average of 0.9 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.1 assist under the Liberty so far.

However, the athlete was waived off just before the 2025 WNBA All-Star games. And now set to rock the Chicago Sky, the locker room is counting on Davis to provide the much-needed backcourt depth to the roster. Moreover, Reese’s post went viral as several fans welcomed the bold move. The guard even earned another surname, “Air-Quesha,” due to her impressive vertical and ability to “float to the basket.”

In fact, one user commented on the viral post with, “I really like this!!! Hate its a hardship tho. I don’t see how they didn’t play her in New York this young lady was a lock down defender & bucket getter for Ole Miss. Chicago finally has another athletic guard besides AA. Thank you.” With the absence of Atkins looming heavy for the locker room, fans feel that Davis is the much-needed change that the franchise needed. And needless to say, the Sky struck as soon as the opportunity presented itself.

But as Davis progresses to Chicago’s locker room, fans wish to watch the athlete compete more on the hardwood. Though several fans echoed that the 7-day contract isn’t enough, can Davis use this time to establish herself as a domineering force? Moreover, with Ariel Atkins sidelined owing to a knee injury, can the new joinee clinch a win against the Minnesota Lynx? With Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso by her side, things look promising for Marquesha Davis.

Angel Reese defends veteran Ariel Atkins

The Chicago Sky player Angel Reese defended her teammate Ariel Atkins for her remarkable stint against the Minnesota Lynx. “She’s tough,” Angel Reese said in a post-game interview. “And people slept on her, people kept saying she was washed. She shows up every single night and put on. Every bucket was tough. I’m just really happy for her. She’s getting her groove. That’s just not offensively; that’s defensively, too.”

Talking about veteran athlete, Ariel Atkins, Reese pointed out how people refer to the athlete as “washed out” over the years. However, it is the same athlete who has been the reigning scorer for the Chicago Sky this season. Though Ariel Atkins has shied away from the All-Star games for a couple of years, she won the All-Star title twice, in 2021 and 2022.

In fact, having the only player in franchise history (Mystics) to make an All-Defensive Team five times is an asset for the franchise and a driving force for the team on the hardwood. But one of the toughest defenders in the league has transformed into being the lead scorer for the Sky. Having said that, Atkins averaged 27 points against the Minnesota Lynx in the first half, and rallied the Sky ahead. This was before she was sidelined owing to a leg injury.

The official ESPN website announced, “Atkins (leg) has been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Lynx, Karli Bell of Marquee Sports Network reports.” Despite Atkins’s absence ahead of the final game against the leading franchise of the Western Division standings, can Davis avenge the loss? Can she bolster the Sky out of their misery? That remains to be seen.