“I’m, if not the most respectful coach to the officiating crew around the league. But… there’s no accountability on the other side of it,” said coach Tyler Marsh after their last game against the Connecticut Sun. A contest that saw him get ejected for opposing a call by the officials. What created quite a bit of controversy was soon met with a satisfying response. And now, Candace Parker’s words are only making it so much better for the head coach.

Around the eight-minute mark in the second quarter on Saturday, Connecticut’s Aaliyah Edwards had tried to stop Chicago’s Elizabeth Williams as she drove to the basket. Edwards went for the ball but ended up falling across Williams’ back, which was clearly a foul. The referee didn’t call it, and the play kept going. Marsh furiously jumped up from the bench and ran toward the official to protest against the missed call. Chicago’s coaching staff and players, including Angel Reese, had to hold him back to calm him down, and as you would expect, he was ejected for his behavior.

Post-game, crew chief Eric Brewton had apologized for the oversight. “The no-call, in live play we did not see the illegal contact, but when we came back and looked at it postgame, there was contact which should have been called. We just missed the play, which we should have done a better job of, ” he said. So the HC’s reaction was understandable. Maybe even for Candace Parker who has known Marsh to be a rather quieter self.

“Tyler is literally like the silent assassin. He’s a basketball junkie. He’s a man of few words, quiet… although I did see the t(ech) the other night,” she said on the live broadcast during Aces vs the Sky after Brewton’s statement was flashed on the screen.

Tyler Marsh and Candace Parker worked together during the 2023 season, Parker’s final year in the league. After leaving the Chicago Sky, she joined the Las Vegas Aces under Becky Hammon’s leadership. Not many players can say they’ve won a championship with every team they’ve played for, but that’s exactly what Parker accomplished in her incredible 13-year WNBA career.

Her opinion on Marsh comes from her time working with him when he was an assistant coach for the Aces. Marsh has earned a strong reputation for developing players, and it’s clear in the growth of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in their sophomore seasons. Reese is averaging career highs with 14.5 points, 2.3 assists, and an improved 46.4% shooting efficiency. Cardoso is right there too, posting career-best numbers with 13.2 points, 2.3 assists, and 8.3 rebounds. However, despite the individual progress, the team results just haven’t followed yet.

The Sky are already out of the playoff race, and tonight’s loss to the Aces marked their 28th of the season. Ariel Atkins dropped 30 points, but it still wasn’t enough as Chicago fell short by five. And if anything, this game showed that Parker’s criticism of Reese could be reconsidered.

Candace Parer’s controversial take on Angel Reese proved wrong

In an interview with Complex Sports, Candace Parker was asked to rank current WNBA players on a scale from S to D, with S being the highest. During the segment, her comments about Angel Reese sparked controversy among fans.“I put her (Angel Reese) right at that C level,” Parker said. “I think in terms of being above, you have to be able to have the ability to carry your team, be a one or two-option. I think Angel Reese is fantastic at her role, which is offensive rebounding. She showed and demonstrated so much growth in that first year.” 

Reese just became the youngest Sky player in over a decade to reach 100 assists in a season. In tonight’s game, she notched her 20th double-double of the year, finishing with 10 points and 17 rebounds, including 12 on the defensive glass. Unfortunately, it wasn’t enough for the Sky.

So, while Parker isn’t wrong about Reese not carrying the team to wins just yet, it’s also clear she’s already one of the Sky’s top two scoring options. If Chicago wants to turn things around, they need to surround her with better three-point shooters, reliable scoring guards, and strong perimeter defenders. Whether they can fix these gaps next season? Only time will tell.