The Chicago Sky are in dire need of help, sitting at a dismal 7-17 start to the season. To make matters worse, the injury list continues to grow. Angel Reese and Ariel Atkins are both sidelined, along with other key contributors. This is the state no team in the W wants to be in. But as fate has it, the team has suffered yet another blow, and this one could be a knockout punch.

When Chicago entered the Wintrust Arena to face Seattle, they were hoping to end their three-game losing streak. But what they got was their worst loss this season, dropping four games straight. The game ended with a score of 95-57. This marks their third loss by 35 points or more this year, the first two being against Indiana and Atlanta. Naturally, all eyes are on head coach Tyler Marsh and what he will do next. Will he change tactics? Or will there be roster changes?

But before all this, the Chicago Sky HC has put forward a concise one-word demand in front of his players. “Compete.” That’s what Marsh wants his players to do. “We’ve got to find that will to compete when it’s difficult,” stressed Marsh. That advice seems to be right on point for the team. It feels like players have lost their competitive edge, looking at the stats of this season. The team is averaging 76.4 points per game this season. This number is worse than last year, and last year they ranked second-last in points per game!

Sure, the injuries can be blamed. But there has not been anyone amongst the team to step up while their ace Angel Reese is out with an injury. The management let Chennedy Carter go, who was one of their top scorers. The team brought in Vandersloot and Atkins this season. While the move was in favor of a better offense, the results have not reflected the same. Both players are suffering from injuries and are unable to contribute. With a revenge match against Fever coming up on Sunday, this is the worst spot the Sky can be right now. There is a sliver of hope, though.

Chicago Sky Head Coach gives update on Angel Reese’s injury

The Sky vs Fever match is just around the corner, and star players of both teams are out injured. But if fortune favors, Reese can enter the court. However, nothing is confirmed as of now. The Chi-Town Barbie was ruled out against Seattle due to a lingering back issue. Giving an update on her injury, Marsh said, “It’ll be day-to-day. She was pretty sore this morning and didn’t want to mess with it, being the back issue. So we’ll see how she feels going into Sunday.”

So the Chicago Sky star can make a comeback on Sunday, provided she’s feeling better. The team surely needs her at their best to square up against Fever. In her last match before injury, Reese scored 11 points and had 11 rebounds against the Lynx. Marsh himself stated that they are losing due to their inability to handle the ball on offense. This is where Reese will play a pivotal role, provided she plays first. One positive outcome after the crushing Storm loss was the Sky players owning up.

“It starts with us. I don’t think it’s anything Tyler’s doing, to be honest with you. We haven’t executed. We haven’t taken care of the ball,” were the thoughts of Elizabeth Williams after their loss. With such a massive void created in offense, the return of Reese becomes ever more important. Reese herself would be itching to get on the court and break the losing streak of her team. But the only question that remains is when she will be fit to be back.