Isn’t it heartbreaking when even your best performance isn’t good enough to turn things around? We’ve all felt that sting. And if there’s one player in the W who can relate, it’s Chicago Sky guard Rachel Banham. Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca welcomed her, saying, “We are very excited to welcome Rachel and Moriah to the Sky, and we know that both will bring a ton of value to this roster this season.” It’s safe to say that despite Sky’s loss to the Lynx last night, Banham stood true to those expectations.

She scored a season-high 20 points on 7-of-13 shooting, six triples, two rebounds and two assists in 27 minutes of action. It still wasn’t enough, though, as the Sky suffered a disappointing 80-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx to mark their 12th loss of the season. However, as Angel Reese put it, “We just have to keep working.” And she’s right. Because outside of Banham and Reese (who posted an impressive 16-point, 17-rebound double-double), no other Sky player scored more than 12 points.

Reese added, ” I think, for our post players, efficiency has improved a lot over the last stretch of games. Continuing to fight through that and push forward will be great for us.” That might be bit of a stretch considering that Sky’s post trio: Reese, Elizabeth Williams, and Kamilla Cardoso, are collectively shooting just 43.9% from the field, with only Cardoso cracking above 50%. Yet, even in the middle of that overconfidence by Reese, Banham’s outlook was rooted in gratitude and emotions.

Going through all the struggles she said, “Honestly, it hasn’t been that hard because they’re (Chicago Sky team) just so great to me.” Being in the league for almost 9 years now, the veteran guard got emotional. She added, “They build me up all the time, and they believe in me, even when I don’t believe in myself. That really means a lot.” By the time she got to this line, Banham had tears in her eyes. And Angel Reese being the rebounder she is, caught those emotions too.

She then comforted her teammate with a gentle hug. While Rachel Banham continued, “I don’t know why I’m getting emotional, but thank you. It’s been really nice to be believed in and trusted to be that person.” If you need a proof of how much the Sky believes in her, just know that she’s averaging 19.4 minutes, the highest of her career with them. But for Banham, what matters is that, ” I’m having a lot of fun, even though we’re not winning. I’m having a lot of fun with my teammates, and that matters.” 

But is that enough to build a championship-caliber team? Or is there still more the Sky need to figure out to truly take that next step?

Angel Reese’s Head Coach Outlines the Next Step

For Head Coach Tyler Marsh, the path forward has always been about consistency. But right now, the Sky are still chasing it. Back when the team was 2-5, Marsh had laid already out the mission. He said, “We just got to be consistent and persistent in playing the style of basketball that we want to play… We can’t waver from game to game. We need to generate that consistency there, and I think we will.”

But ten games later, the Sky is at 5-12, and that goal feels just as far away. The problem isn’t just flipping between games anymore, rather it’s crumbling within a single matchup. Their recent loss to the Lynx made that painfully obvious. Chicago totally controlled the first quarter and built a 14-point lead at the Target Center. But the momentum evaporated real quick. Minnesota responded with a 28-point second quarter. Just like that, by halftime, the Sky’s edge was gone.

After the game, Marsh gave credit but didn’t shy from the truth: “Overall, I’m pleased with the effort,” he started. He then cut to the core issue: “We just need to do a better job in-game. That second quarter hurt us. We won the first quarter by 14 and then lost the second by 15.” And despite out-rebounding the Lynx 45-37 and shooting a solid 43.5% from three, the Sky couldn’t handle Minnesota’s transition at the most important time.

So what now? For Marsh, it’s not just about strong starts, it’s about locking in for all four quarters. They have got to close the leaks, sharpen their focus mid-game, and finally turn flashes of promise into real progress.