Caitlin Clark’s threes, Aliyah Boston’s close-range, and Lexi Hull’s put-back shots all went in fine as the Chicago Sky players had no answers at the defensive end. It was complete domination from the new look Indiana Fever team as the Sky failed the first test at the Gainbridge Arena.. But the real concern was not the loss, it was the shoreline. 93-58 in favor of the Fever. In the postgame interview, star player Angel Reese addressed the point.

“Yeah, I mean, I think we got some great shots. We may not have made them all,” Reese answered the question on second-half struggles. “But I think obviously, like we said, it’s game one. Being able to look back and 20 games, finishing those and hitting those shots.” Reese is aware of the point where the game was lost. The Windy City franchise was still in the game at the half, trailing by 13. Few easy shots were missed by both sides, but there was no excuse for Angel Reese and co, who were trailing for the whole game.

Still looking to find positives from the game, Reese was pleased with the offensive performance. “It’s good to see that we can we can execute at half court and just be able to get those shots and get those open looks.” She added. But it was not how Coach Tyler Marsh saw things. When he was asked a similar question, his reply was completely contradictory to Chi-Town Barbie.

“In a game like this, you kind of have the luxury of seeing that (good looks). You know, what works and what doesn’t.” He was getting to the point, “But again, I don’t see too many nights that we’re going to, you know, shoot this poorly. And so, you know, hopefully our ball movement picks up and we’ll be okay.” Poor shooting was the team’s actual enemy in the game. The team as a whole netted 29% of their shots, franchise player Angel Reese? Fared just better with a 35% shooting night.

If we go back to Tyler Marsh’s introductory interview, the first-year HC made it clear that the Chicago team would have to improve on its shooting. “Shooting. We want shooting. And lots of it.” He told the press on day one. In 2024, the Chicago Sky team was the second-worst scoring side with 42.2% accuracy and finished third-to-last in the standings with a 13-27 record. Reese was netting just above 39% off her shots, and being a leader, a lot was expected from her.

Though Reese’s name was not directly called out in Tyler’s presser, he expected better shooting performances from the side that includes Reese. Former WNBA superstar Sue Bird also called out Reese, saying that, by slightly bettering her shooting accuracy, she could move from a 13-13 (points-rebounds) game to an 18-13 game, and it’s completely doable.

Reese’s shooting struggles are not new, though. The star had never cleared the 20% mark for the range shots. But had been effective in the paint area, taking her FG average close to 50%. The W is different, though, more physical near the rim, and Reese’s accuracy dropped to 39%. During her NCAA title run, she was shooting well, well above 52%. So there is room for improvement, and the All-Star is ready to work on it. “Maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2,” Reese said when she concluded her rookie season with a 3-pointer. Marsh had a perfect plan to help Angel and the team achieve better shooting stats.

Tyler Marsh’s plan for Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky nearly worked in the opening game

Fans were amused to see Angel Reese practising and banking three-pointers in training when the Sky franchise shared videos. Former Aces’ assistant coach had a plan to use Reese bit away from the rim, allowing her to take multiple roles. She was in a position to be a facilitator, drive to the post, and occasionally drop a three-pointer. Reese finished with 12 points and 17 rebounds, slightly better than her rookie season average.

The spacing also allowed Reese’s forward partner, Kamila Cardoso, to thrive near the glass and own more of a center player role. Guards also got better screening and a chance for open shots or to play pick-and-roll with Reese.

The opening game of the 2025 regular season had it all. If we go by the number of shots attempted, Chicago would have won the game by 4. They had 79 attempts compared to 75 for the Fever. Consider a couple of lockdown defensive plays from the Fever team; the number was still encouraging. The Sky team averaged 15 three-pointers in the 2024 season. And due to Tyler’s style of play, this number was up by 140% with 21 attempts in the game against the Indiana Fever. The pace of the game was also better for the Chicago side.

Yes, as Angel said in the press conference, this is still the first game of the season. There are plenty of positives on paper despite the loss, but the team needs to be more lethal with their scoring to turn the games around. With the regular season already underway, the actions need to be implemented quickly as the games will come thick and fast for the team. Next up Chicago Sky will take on defending champions New York Liberty on May 22.