After wrapping up the 2024 WNBA season, Michaela Onyenwere had one thing on her mind: coming back better. So, determined to elevate her game, she made a bold decision to cut short her usual overseas stint in China to just eight weeks so that she could return home and focus on herself, instead of logging endless back-to-back games abroad. “For once, I wanted to prioritize my growth… I’m actually getting better at things I need for next season by doing individual training,” she shared. But as the year went on, her 4.3 points average with 1.1 rebounds didn’t reflect that growth, until now! It’s because HC Tyler Marsh is stepping in for the rescue…

It all comes up as the Chicago Sky improved to 5–11 on the season after a 92–85 win over L.A., marking their second victory in three games. However, they remained in 12th place in the standings due to continued lineup instability. That’s largely because Courtney Vandersloot suffered a season-ending injury on June 7th vs. the Fever forcing Marsh to deploy four different starting lineups in just nine games.

So, when the team entered Target Center, that same strategy gave Michaela Onyenwere a start over Rebecca Allen, who had started nine straight games. And that was how Onyenwere’s second start of the season, and her second in the last three games kicked off. And without a doubt, it was one of Coach Marsh’s best decisions so far, even though it ended in a loss.

“When you look at the box score, we won a lot of areas in this game,” HC Tyler Marsh said in the postgame press conference. “Where we got hurt was in transition. We wanted to make an adjustment from a defensive standpoint. I thought Mic gave us good minutes. I thought it was an overall good team effort. We just came up a bit short tonight.”

So, of course, when Reese was asked about Mic, she had nothing but praise for her mate. “I mean, obviously, the versatility with her,” Reese said. “We can switch 3-5 and that’s something that’s great for us. She has been resilient for us all throughout the year with her coming in the starting lineup, coming out of it and just playing a role. She’s the best teammate I’ve probably ever had. She’s always smiling, she’s always cheering even when it’s not going great for her.”

But, yes, this wasn’t the first time a Sky head coach used Mic in a strategic lineup shift. Even last year, under Coach Teresa Weatherspoon, Onyenwere was moved into the starting lineup, replacing guard Marina Mabrey after her trade. “She’s probably the most versatile player we have as far as the positions that she can play,” Weatherspoon had said.

Well, she had earned it, too, as despite the All-Star and Olympic breaks back then, Mic averaged 8.5 points on 60% shooting that caught Weatherspoon’s attention. So, Tyler Marsh had a proven example before him. All he needed was to take the chance, and he did. But the result still wasn’t enough, though it wasn’t due to Mic’s effort. As the coach reiterated, “Where we got hurt was in transition.”

It all comes up after a strong second quarter by the home side turned out to be the decisive stretch. And that too, despite out-rebounding the Lynx and shooting an efficient 43.5% from beyond the arc. Even defensively, the Sky actually executed a solid game plan as they limited Minnesota to just 24% shooting from three and forced nine turnovers while holding their own in the paint. So what went wrong? Simple, the Sky couldn’t withstand Minnesota’s transition attack late in the game—and ultimately, they came up short. And not just that, as they recorded just two blocks compared to Minnesota’s 10—a massive swing that allowed the Lynx to disrupt driving lanes and finish at the rim far more effectively.

But it wasn’t just that.

It was clear that one of the key factors in the Lynx’s win was their advantage at the free-throw line. Despite committing more fouls—17 compared to the Sky’s 16—the Lynx attempted 17 free throws and made 14, while the Sky went to the line only eight times, converting seven. What’s more telling is that Chicago had taken just one free throw before the fourth quarter. Meanwhile, Minnesota had quietly strolled to the line six times. In the final quarter, Lynx made strides with 11 more attempts, while the Sky got seven. The free-throw disparity was quite clear.

When HC addressed the issue, he pointed to a concerning pattern for Angel Reese and the team’s bigs. “It’s hard to imagine that we would only have eight free throws with the amount of opportunities we have in the paint,” Marsh said. “I know that Kamilla, Elizabeth, and Angel receive a lot of contact down there. For us to not get to the line more than that is frustrating.”

And he had a point. Reese finished the game with 16 points, 17 rebounds, and six assists, battling hard under the basket all night, dealing with physicality as no calls were made. That’s where the frustration lies. As Marsh noted, both Reese and Elizabeth Williams consistently absorb contact in the post, but the lack of whistles suggests either missed foul calls or a style of officiating that doesn’t favor them.