Chicago Sky Hits Rock Bottom as Angel Reese Tops Caitlin Clark WNBA Career Worst Show Against NY Liberty

It was game two of the 2025 WNBA season for the Chicago Sky. A chance to bounce back from the massive loss on the opening night. But Angel Reese and her Chicago Sky side were up against the defending Champions New York Liberty. And the outcome of the game put Tyler Marsh’s side in 12th position in the ranking. Angel Reese? She surpassed Catlin Clark’s feat, but not the one she would have loved to get.

The New York Liberty, behind their all-around performance, managed to stay perfect in the first week of the WNBA 2025. Playing at home for the first time since September, the side displayed a great offensive outing. They were 25-for-69 (36.2%) overall and 11-for-27 (40.7%) on 3s. With that, the Sky scored 74 points against Liberty, 16 more than in their previous games. But they were still defensively fragile, allowing 99 points to the NY side. That was their second blowout loss in as many games.

And if we combine both defeats of the 2025 season, the Chicago Sky is now -60 over two games – the lowest in NBA history. “New York imposed their will on us a little bit and took us out of our rhythm,” Sky HC Tyler Marsh said in the press conference, “That’s a good team (and) you can’t afford to self-inflict wounds.” One of the star players who failed to show up in the game was Angel Reese, though shooting blank from eight attempts in the game.

No, it was not a bagel for Reese, though. She scored two points with the help of two made free throws. That’s her lowest score in the pro-season. Reese, known as ‘Chi Barbie’ for her flair and 2024 double-double average of 13.9 points and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds, faced relentless pressure from Liberty defenders like Jonquel Jones, whose rim protection contributed to Reese’s 0-for-8 shooting night, including 0-for-7 from inside four feet. That’s the second superstar shut down by the NY Liberty side in the league. The first one was Caitlin Clark.

Yes, the Fever guard with multiple scoring records managed to score just 3 points against the NY side in June 2024. This was her lowest-scoring output. The Fever team was already struggling with a 2-9 start in Clark’s debut season, and Clark’s offensive failure handed her side their ninth loss in 11 games.

Yet Liberty guard Sabrina Ionescu said. “I think collectively as a team, we understand who kind of the head of the monster is on that team and we are trying to just make everything tough and difficult. Obviously, they came off a back-to-back, so it’s a little bit tough for them as well. But she’ll figure it out. It’s not that big of a deal to have a game like that.” Sky franchise is also going through a similar phase in 2025. Even though it’s just a two-game window, the franchise’s poor form and performances raise many questions. More importantly, on Angel Reese…

A few of her close-range shots were easily blocked by the rim-protectors of the NY Liberty, while she was abysmal from the mid-range. Though Reese maintained dominance on the board, collecting 12 rebounds and 2 steals, fans will be gushing over her poor shooting performance. And rightly so. The Chi-Town Barbie had been the face of the franchise right from her rookie season, and fans are expecting more impact from Reese.

In the ongoing investigation by the WNBA over the ‘racial slur’ during the game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the Windy City fanbase showed their love for Reese. They turned up in numbers for the game against the Liberty side. But her performance must have disappointed the spectators. At the same time, fans must appreciate the New York Liberty’s efforts on the defensive end.

Is the New York Liberty a true title contender?

The Big Apple Franchise won its first title in 2024, ending the title drought of the founder franchise. In the preseason standings, the Liberty side was among the top contenders for the 2025 season.

“It wasn’t an entirely flawless performance for New York, but between the championship festivities pregame and the convincing start to the season on court, the vibes were high in Brooklyn on Saturday.” — Alexa Philippou of ESPN mentioned in her analysis. No, with 25 25-point win against the Sky, the team’s overall start power once again showed why they are the champions.

Team’s defensive stability is their strong point, which we saw in both games holding efficient scorers like Aja Wilson and Angel Reese. Allowing the fewest points in the 2024 season, the side won the Championship. With players like Sabrina Ionescu, Brianna Stuart and Jonquel Jones already in the lineup, the Liberty side added Natasha Cloud and Marine Johannes, giving them multiple scorers in the ranks.

The current side is even seen as an improved version of the 2015 Liberty team, with the addition of experienced stars; they strengthened their roster. This squad will be tested once again in the 2025 season, as after Aja Wilson and Angel Reese, they will face Caitlin Clark’s side on Friday, May 23.