Are the good times finally back in Chicago? After losing 5 games in a row, the Sky had Angel Reese suiting up for their clash against the Washington Mystics. A massive boost for Tyler Marsh and co. who missed their point forward due to back issues. But if you thought Reese’s return would help ease the troubles of Coach Marsh, think again. Because he may have just made things even tougher for himself!

Yes, Angel Reese is finally back after missing 2 of the last three games since the All-Star weekend. The league’s rebounding queen made her much-anticipated return against the Washington Mystics and already has 15 points and 11 boards at the time of writing. Oh, the Sky definitely felt her absence! Without her dominance in the paint, Chicago dropped to 7-18 and slipped to 12th in the standings.

But her comeback nearly ended just two quarters in. Why? With about six minutes left in the second quarter, Angel Reese was being held in the paint by rookie sensation Kiki Iriafen. While Bayou Barbie’s pass found Kamilla Cardoso for the bucket, she took a hard fall to the floor in the process.

A quick timeout was called by the Mystics’ coach with the score at 39-38 in their favor. But in the next few minutes, Tyler Marsh had been hit with a technical foul.

Clearly frustrated by the no-call after Angel Reese’s hard fall, Marsh marched over to half-court to confront the officials about the decision. As you would expect, things got heated quite quickly, and Coach Marsh had to be separated from the officials. It was an uncharacteristic moment from the usually calm and composed Marsh, a sight fans don’t usually see. But could you really blame him? Reese is arguably the most important player on his team, and that was a debatable fall.

Reese has played in 22 games this season, starting in every single one. She’s averaging 13.8 points, leads the league with 12.5 rebounds per game, and also leads the Sky in assists at 3.7. That’s how important she is to the team, and Coach Marsh couldn’t afford to lose her again! In Jeff Pagliocca’s words, she is their “best chance at versatility on this roster,” having ruled out Ariel Atkins and Courtney Williams due to injury.

For Angel Reese, the night got off to a rocky start. Just minutes into the first quarter, she was on the receiving end of a “too small” taunt! Yep, you read that right! Here’s what went down.

Angel Reese gets hit with a “too small” taunty by Shakira Austin

With just under 6 minutes left in the first quarter, Mystics center Shakira Austin took Angel Reese one-on-one, using a slick up-and-under move to finish at the rim and push the score to 12-6. But it was what came after that which stole the spotlight! Austin was seen putting her hand near the ground, signaling that Reese was “too small” to guard her.

This isn’t the first time sparks have flown between these two. Earlier this month, during a regular-season clash, both Shakira Austin and Angel Reese were hit with technical fouls after exchanging words on the court. That’s not all! They were seen having a brief spat during the Unrivaled earlier this year as well! So while the headlines might be on the Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese storyline, this is the rivalry fans really need to keep an eye on!

Reese’s return didn’t go quite as Coach Marsh might’ve hoped. The Sky dropped their sixth straight game, falling 86-103, and now sit at 7-19 on the season. Despite the loss, Reese gave it everything she had, finishing with 22 points and 13 rebounds. But the lack of backcourt depth is something the Sky need to address if they want to try and make the playoffs this year.