Fast rebuilds don’t come cheap. Chicago Sky knew exactly what they were signing up for. The franchise built on bold bets and bigger risks. First, they sacrificed future draft capital to pick Angel Reese. Then, they doubled down, sending two valuable picks – including the No. 3 pick in the 2025 draft – to the Mystics for Ariel Atkins. Risky? Absolutely. But regardless of their record, the players they chose have been showing up and showing out since the moment they touched down in Sky Town.

With Reese and Kamilla Cardoso holding it down, no one questioned the frontcourt talent. But once Chennedy Carter – who was leading the team in scoring – was not there, there was a real “okay… now what?” moment. Atkins answered that pretty fast. But just when it felt like things were clicking, the basketball gods threw another wrench into the plan.

Courtney Vandersloot had already gone down with that brutal ACL tear, and now Atkins is out. If you remember, she got injured during the second matchup against the Lynx. While trying to drive hard to the wing to shake off her defender, Courtney Williams, Atkins appeared to tweak something in her leg. Shortly after, the team announced she wouldn’t be returning. She was also out in the very next game against the Dream.

With the Sky’s already thin guard rotation, that’s… less than ideal, which was at the forefront vs. the league-best. The team’s second-leading scorer and their best perimeter defender missed Tuesday night’s 91-68 blowout to the Lynx. Head coach Tyler Marsh didn’t sugarcoat it. “Ariel gives us a sense of athleticism and downhill capabilities that we certainly miss,” he said. “It’s times throughout the game that we need to show the poise and fight when things start to slip away.”

Atkins is one of the league’s most reliable catch-and-shoot threats. She’s steady from deep, sneaky from midrange, and a fast-break nightmare. She was averaging nearly 14 points a game and ranked top 20 in transition scoring. More than that, her defense sets the tone – on-ball pressure, hustle, grit. Without her, the Sky struggled to keep up, plain and simple.

And remember that wild win over the Lynx just before the break? It was Atkins who led the charge with 27 points. Sure, she started the season a bit cold, but she ramped up fast, taking more shots and finding her rhythm just in time. Now, her injury is officially “day-to-day,” according to Marsh and she is expected to miss at least two more games. But the Sky just signed Marquesha Davis on a hardship deal. That tells you they’re bracing for more time without her.

And that’s a punch in the gut for a team that had finally found a groove. After a rough 3-11 start, they’d clawed back to go 4-5 before the All-Star break, including that statement win over the top-seeded Lynx. They wanted to come out swinging in the second half. But Tuesday night was far from promising. Sure, the execution wasn’t great. But the real story was the injury woes. No Atkins. No Michaela Onyenwere. And suddenly, the Sky’s perimeter defense and downhill aggression disappeared.

Still, Reese somehow found a way to make history. 

Chicago Sky star soars into history

Angel Reese has improved drastically this season. Leading in rebounds, dropping double-doubles (s) and carrying Sky on her back, she is having a great run. To absolutely no one’s surprise, the Chicago Sky forward made WNBA history on Tuesday night, becoming the only player with multiple streaks of 10 or more double-doubles. 

Reese finished with 11 points and 11 boards against the Lynx, marking her 10th straight game with a double-double. Chicago’s very own “Jay” is flying into record books. But at the same time, she’s also flying close to the sun. Reese also picked up her seventh technical foul of the season in the 23-point blowout loss to Minnesota. 

And the league’s threshold is clear that eight techs equals a one-game suspension. Reese is officially toeing the line. On top of that, she also had a ghastly nine turnovers. But on that front, she’s not the only one in hot water. Another reason why Chicago unraveled early was all thanks to an all-too-familiar enemy – turnovers. They coughed it up 12 times just in the first half, “Most of our inconsistencies start with taking care of the ball,” Sky head coach Marsh said postgame.

The Lynx didn’t waste time capitalizing. By the third, they had blown the game open, and the Target Center crowd was loving it. Fans even chanted “Whose house? Our house,” as the Lynx improved to an absurd 13–0 at home. The Sky will try to bounce back at home with tough matchups ahead – against Storm on Thursday, and Fever on Sunday.