This wasn’t how the script was supposed to unfold when the Chicago Sky tipped off their season. What began with cautious optimism has spiraled into a series of setbacks. Now sitting at No. 5 in the East and No. 11 overall in the league, their place in the standings barely scratches the surface of their struggles. Now, ten games in, they’ve added another recent loss to the tally. But this one hits differently. Yes, the Sky have repeatedly fallen into double-digit deficits, struggled to find rhythm, and failed to string together consistent performances. Still, something about this game is refusing to fade away. And Head Coach Tyler Marsh isn’t sugarcoating it. There are silver linings but no soft landings.

Walking into the Gateway Center, the Chicago Sky wasn’t exactly carrying the weight of expectations. According to ESPN, the Atlanta Dream had a 67% chance of sealing the win, and on paper, it was hard to argue. Angel Reese and Co. were already battered with a 2-7 record, missing veteran presence Courtney Vandersloot, while the Dream had a full-strength 6-3 roster. But the moment the ball was in the air, the numbers didn’t seem to matter. The game quickly shed the predicted narrative; it was not a one-sided affair at all.

But, now, Marsh is left to figure out whether that brief third-quarter spark was the beginning of something real or just another false dawn. “We’ve got to continue to emphasize the positives from it and improve on the negatives in that fourth,” Marsh said. “We’ve got to do a better job stopping the bleeding.” And in some manner, they did until they could not.

In the second quarter at the 6:32 mark, Chicago had achieved a personal milestone. They held their lead of two points for the first time in the last three games. And heading into halftime, they still showed potential at 39-38 despite a late push from the Dream. For a moment, it felt like something had shifted. But then, the Sky reverted to their usual habits, and that’s when the game slipped away. Rhyne Howard, who had been scoreless in the first half, erupted for 11 points in the third quarter. She hit a jumper at the buzzer and opened the fourth with a three-pointer to give the Dream a seven-point lead.

And she wasn’t done. Howard nailed another three with 8:18 remaining, extending Atlanta’s lead to 66-56—the first double-digit lead of the game. She ended up scoring 11 points during the Dream’s crushing 18-3 run in the fourth quarter, taking the lead to 79-59. Atlanta outscored Chicago 30-16 in the final quarter. And, that’s how the Sky fell 88-70 at Gateway Center Arena.

The reason? No one put it better than Marsh himself. “I thought we did as good of a job as you could do executing our defensive game plan going into the game,” Marsh said. “For us, it’s about putting together a consistent ballgame for 40 minutes. I thought we did for about 30 minutes tonight.”  To be honest, though, if the team wants to answer Marsh’s pleas, they might want to look at both defensive and offensive execution.

Before the game, Coach Marsh had pinpointed two non-negotiables.“I think there’s two areas offensively where accountability can be had,” Marsh said. “I think that’s with turnovers and that’s with our movement.” But did the team make any strides in any department to give Marsh ample mental space to focus on defense? 

Despite adding L, the Chicago Sky might be aiming for something big!

Chicago Sky’s recent loss to the Dream was everything their front office and head coach have been working so hard to avoid. Sure, the box score tells a tale of competitiveness as Sky shot 41.2% from the field and even outscored Atlanta in the paint, 40-34, proving they did improve their movement and interior chemistry. But anyone watching could tell, it just wasn’t a complete game.

It’s because the same issues of inconsistent defense, shaky shooting from beyond the arc, and an inability to keep the energy high across all four quarters reappeared. In short, shots didn’t fall consistently enough to offset defensive breakdowns So, while Chicago managed to build a lead of 8 at one point, Atlanta’s response was too much for both their offense and defense. And that’s why the tempo shifted, and once it did, the Sky never found a way to get it back.

And honestly, a big part of all this chaos is the absence of Courtney Vandersloot. It’s because clearly, Sky is struggling without their veteran floor general, with Hailey Van Lith still adjusting to a role she may not be ready to fully command. So, while players like Angel Reese continue to rack up double-doubles, the lack of a true point guard is hurting the team’s structure, as reflected in the team’s 20 assists overshadowed by 15 turnovers. Yes, their turnovers were still well under their 17.5–18 season average, but nothing to be proud about.

But Pagliocca and Marsh aren’t just focused on wins. They’re focused on building a lasting identity around their young core: Kamilla Cardoso, Angel Reese, and Van Lith. They’re not panicking, not trading just to slap on a quick fix. As Pagliocca put it, “change needed to happen,” but not at the cost of long-term vision. This means they’ll be riding this out, perhaps with an eye on overseas talent once EuroBasket wraps up, but for now, the rebuild is internal. But, will it reflect as a win in the upcoming game??