Angel Reese is the Chicago Sky’s GPS in a way. She’s leading the team in 3 out of 5 major stat categories: points (14.2), rebounds (12.6), and assists (3.7). Basically, if there’s a box to fill, Angel’s got the pen. Even Angel knows how much she means to the mission. After her last game, she didn’t sugarcoat it: “It was ugly, ugly for me, but I tried to push through as much as I could for my teammates because I know they need me out there.” 

Now, a back issue has sidelined Angel Reese (she has missed 3 consecutive games and 6 overall). And every single fan is worried. However, we all know that a team can never make it to the playoffs by relying on just one star player. So, this might just be the Sky’s moment to fine-tune. And if we’re being honest, Elizabeth Williams is all locked in. And we expected this, didn’t we? After all, she is the team leader in one of the other two categories, averaging 0.9 blocks per game. Clearly, she is finally starting to shine. Almost as bright as she did in 2023 (more on that later), when Angel hadn’t suited up for the Sky yet. But before we dive into her season, let’s zoom in on someone who has had a front-row seat to this growth: Marsh.

After the win over the Mystics (which also snapped an 8-game skid), an interviewer asked the HC: “She’s a veteran presence that can just do a lot on the floor. But how impactful has she been here over the last week and a half? Because it feels like she’s really settled in here.” Marsh replied: “I think today, or the last couple games, um, she’s really set the tone from an energy standpoint.” Guess what? That energy boost kicked in right when Angel checked out. Coincidence? We think not. It’s that veteran wiring that allows her to flip the switch exactly when the team needs it. Marsh acknowledged that, too: “Liz is just a savvy vet, and so she, uh, understands her role, understands when her role needs to be elevated in certain moments.”

She absolutely rose to that moment vs the Mystics. Liz dropped a game-high 18 points and logged a grueling 36 minutes. That’s stamina and leadership rolled into one. She also grabbed 10 rebounds and was second only to Kamilla’s 13. That’s a star-level performance. And Marsh knew it: “Tonight her and, uh, her and Kamilla being as dominant as they were on the glass and, um, and from a scoring standpoint certainly gave us a huge boost.” This comes after the Chicago Sky had signed her to a contract extension worth $100,000 through the 2025 season. And that extension came even though she had missed most of the 2024 season after suffering a meniscus injury. Many thought the Sky was taking a risk. But won’t you now say she has justified every bit of that money, plus trust, and proven the doubters wrong?

But has Elizabeth Williams been this efficient all along? Let’s find out…

2023- 29.7 MIN, 9.8 PTS, 5.8 REB, 2.5 AST, 1.3 STL, 1.5 BLK (40 Games Played)
2024- 27.7 MIN, 10 PTS, 7 REB, 1.6 AST, 1.6 STL, 1.7 BLK (9 Games Played)
2025- 20.2 MIN, 8.3 PTS, 4.6 REB, 1.7 AST, 0.7 STL, 0.9 BLK (28 Games Played)

These numbers make it clear that Elizabeth Williams had her best run with the Sky back in 2023. That was before Angel Reese entered the mix, when Williams was the only veteran left from their last playoff squad. She was playing big minutes and putting up numbers. Now, looking at this season, yeah, her stats have dipped a bit – but so have her minutes. That makes sense when you consider the Sky are trying to develop their young frontcourt with Reese and Cardoso. But if you look closer, her per-minute production actually holds up really well. She’s still efficient, still steady, and honestly, that’s impressive given she’s coming off a major knee surgery – not something easy to bounce back from, especially after 30.

And notably, in the recent stretch without Reese, her production has spiked. In the last three games, with increased minutes, Williams has averaged 16 points, 11 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal, and 1.3 blocks – a stretch that shows when given the time, she can still take over and lead like she used to.

A Big Win Without Angel Reese

A big win, and a much-needed one too. They finally ended their brutal eight-game losing streak by crushing the Washington Mystics 78-64. It was the worst phase of their season. Not only was this their first victory against Washington in six tries, but it also came at the perfect moment to turn things around.

Right from the jump, the Sky took control. After Shakira Austin scored first for the Mystics, Chicago fired back with a 14-0 run and never let up. They owned the first quarter by outscoring Washington 25-10, and kept that momentum going. Kamilla Cardoso was unstoppable early. She dropped 12 points and grabbed 10 rebounds by halftime. She then ended the night with 16 points and 13 boards. This extended her double-double streak to seven games and notched her ninth of the year.

Elizabeth Williams was even more dominant. She led the team with 18 points and 10 rebounds while logging a season-high 36 minutes. With both Reese and Hailey Van Lith out, Liz and Kamilla completely owned the paint. The Sky also got a major lift from Ariel Atkins. She had just returned after missing seven games and immediately contributed 15 points and five assists. Michaela Onyenwere chipped in 12, and the team shot a season-best 54% from the field, dished out 22 assists, and led by as much as 19.

Postgame, head coach Tyler Marsh highlighted the team’s mindset: “I think resiliency was kind of the messaging… being able to bounce back from those low moments of the game and not letting it derail the next.”

Mission accomplished.