When Angel Reese made a comeback from a back injury after having missed seven games, HC Tyler Marsh couldn’t help but shower praise on her. “I thought she played great… I think she gave us everything that she had,” he said during the August 20 postgame press conference. No doubt, the HC’s right here as “Boards Barbie”—despite being on a minutes restriction—ended up with 19 points and seven rebounds for Windy City, who fell against the Seattle Storm 94–88. But if you ask a Chicago Sky guard about her performance, she might not agree with the HC though!

That’s because the Seattle Storm attempted 22 shots from deep, and while the team was able to hit only 8 of them, it does reflect the struggles of Windy City to defend the perimeter. So, Reese came to the forefront and took accountability for the team’s inefficiency as she shared that she had to do more from her spot in the paint. “From my four and five position, I’ve got to guard everywhere,” she told reporters in the postgame conference, pointing out how versatile today’s forwards have become, as most of the fours can shoot. Well, that’s exactly what Draymond Green—who averaged 7.4 assists per game, second most across the NBA back in 2016—is popular for.

Remember? The NBA Defensive Player of the Year for 2016–2017 was instrumental as a center in the Warriors’ “Death Lineup” to throw off defensive matchups. Even in the W, Breanna Stewart is a live example as she can pass, take a rebound, steal, and yes, defend any position. Her impact as she stretched the court is something that offers Jonquel Jones ample room to operate, leading to a threatening New York offense. So yes, Reese, averaging a team-high 14.2 points per game with 12.6 rebounds per game, can do it too.

After all, she’s known as a “more aggressive Draymond Green” for a reason, right? Ever since Courtney Vandersloot left the team, she’s been driving the young roster while leading the league in rebounds. Also, remember her being named Unrivaled’s first-ever Defensive Player of the Year in 2025? It was after she got the “most combined weighted votes from Unrivaled players and coaches as well as a national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters” as she allowed 65.2 points per game for the new 3 by 3 league led by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart.

So, you know it acted as salt on the wound when Reese wasn’t able to defend Nneka Ogwumike, who stuffed the sheet with 21 points on 8-for-15 shooting and six rebounds, three times in the recent game. “I gave Nneka some threes tonight that I shouldn’t have. I was going under the screen and not closing out enough. So that’s on me,” she admitted in the same press conference. For a player who’s popular for “mebounds”—a term widely used to criticize her for rebounding her own missed layups—missing these shots really is a big thing. Especially when her team is standing 5th in the Eastern Conference Division with their 8–26 record.

But honestly, this loss was evitable, as while the Storm led by as many as 19 points in the fourth quarter, they had to withstand a late push by the Sky, who concluded the fourth quarter 38–28. So, if Sky who made late push played with the same pace and focus throughout the game a win against Storm could’ve been possible. But, Sky, who continued to struggle, fell to 1–11 since the All-Star break this season, whereas the Storm—now standing at 18–18—were able to stretch their lead to one game over the Sparks in the battle for the final WNBA spot. But while Reese taking blame on her shoulders for the loss, there’s more to the story!

Angel Reese’s vying more amid adversities…

The Chicago Sky superstar has always been at the center of action, injured or not. So, even this time it’s not going to be different. Yes, the Sky lost their playoff hopes for the second consecutive season, something former head coach Teresa Weatherspoon lost her job for, but Reese’s not slowing down. That’s why right after the game she took it to her official Instagram account and reposted Sky’s official post wherein they congratulated Reese for being “Player of the Game.”

But, while posting, she even gave a message as a caption that read, “Barbie Back.” And yes, there’s no doubt, as right after her return from a back injury she’s posting 19 points. But the real anticipation is for the elite rebounder who wasn’t afraid to get physical—or even, as some claim, dirty. But that won’t be easy for the Chi-Town Barbie, who’s already had her seventh tech of the season and is just one game away from automatic suspension.

Now the Sky’s got a tougher schedule as they’ll be playing against the Phoenix Mercury, defending champions New York Liberty, and two-time WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces. While wins might not be an option for the team playing as a sabotager now, their major aim at the moment is to build the team’s chemistry and confidence for the future for the rest of the season, as tanking isn’t really an option for the team that traded away its 2026 first-round pick to the Minnesota Lynx. So, what do you think—will the driving engine for the young roster be able to collect wins against top teams with her defensive strategies?