“Somebody had to break the streak.” That’s what everyone was thinking heading into Tuesday night’s showdown between the Los Angeles Sparks and Chicago Sky. Both teams came in sharing an unfortunate badge – tied for the second-longest active losing streak in the WNBA at three games apiece, with almost identical records. It was a battle of who wanted out of the rut more. Well, it was Chicago. And Skytown couldn’t be happier. Even better, this wasn’t some lucky fluke. This one was earned.

After weeks of struggling, the Sky finally looked like a team that’s been grinding behind the scenes to clean up its mess. The effort was visible. The execution was sharper than it’s been in a while. And the payoff was a much-needed 97–86 victory that felt like the beginning of something steadier. Angel Reese & Co. returned home after losing six of their first seven games in June. It was Kamilla Cardoso’s last game before heading overseas for national duty. Safe to say, she made it memorable. The Brazilian center dropped a career-high 27 points, and the ‘SkyScrapers’ duo – Cardoso and Reese – combined for 45 points and 24 rebounds.

But amidst all that, it was the comeback that stood out the most. The Sky head coach Tyler Marsh was asked about how that turnaround came about and what sparked it in the locker room. For context, the Sparks took a 14-point lead on a bucket by Hamby with 2:44 left in the first quarter. They were still up by 12 heading into the second. 

Coach made it clear the message was for everyone. “I just felt like LA was playing just with more aggression, with a faster pace, and we were just kind of allowing them to move where they wanted to move. And that wasn’t part of the game plan. It wasn’t part of the energy that we wanted to play with in the first half,” he said. He added that in the second half, they came out with a different level of intensity and were able to carry that all the way through the second half. 

Indeed, they were. Chicago trimmed the deficit to 31–28 early in the second before the Sparks surged again, going up 44–32. But the Sky fought right back and cut it to 48–42 by halftime. Then Cardoso knocked down a three – the first of her WNBA career – to make it 51–49 with 7:58 left in the third. Shortly after, Reese converted a three-point play to make it 61–60. The Sky tied it at 65-all with a Rebecca Allen triple at the 2:10 mark, though Plum’s layup sent LA into the fourth up 69–67. 

That didn’t last long. Cardoso gave the Sky their first lead of the night, 74–72 with 7:23 left, and then pushed it to 77–72 just over a minute later. They didn’t look back. Rachel Banham hit a dagger three to make it 84–76, and Cardoso’s layup off a bounce pass from Atkins sealed the deal at 90–81 with just 1:27 left.

But more than just the numbers, during the post-game conference, Coach Marsh talked about how the Sky are finally starting to find themselves.

He emphasized that even in the loss to Atlanta, there were signs of growth. That game helped heal one half of their Achilles’ heel – turnovers. They committed single-digit turnovers for the first time all season in that game. It’s been hard to fully evaluate what this offense can be since they’ve averaged a league-worst 18 turnovers per game. But in that matchup, something clicked, the Sky had a more balanced scoring attack, with four players in double figures. Now, yes, the other half of the Achilles’ heel – perimeter defense – still haunted them. 

They allowed six three-pointers in the fourth quarter alone. But Tuesday night, they cleaned that up too.

The Sky–Sparks clash was a showcase of the WNBA’s next wave, featuring rising stars like Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, and LA rookie Rickea Jackson. Chicago didn’t just break a three-game skid with their 97–86 win, they put the rest of the East on notice with a performance that hinted at their ability to climb the standings.

The Sky kept turnovers low again (just 11). They ran the offense through Cardoso. Ariel Atkins chipped in with 13 points and five assists. Rookie Hailey Van Lith added six points off the bench. Reese was efficient as ever.

And even though the Sky weren’t lights out from downtown, they were timely, going 6-for-18. Meanwhile, LA went just 7-of-26 from deep. And all of that combined brought Wintrust Arena to life in a way we haven’t seen all season. But as Coach Marsh said, it can’t stop here. “You know the messaging is just that we can’t have anything less than that effort-wise. If we give the right level of effort, if we take care of the ball, if we stay attentive to the game plan, then we’ll find ourselves in some of these games. And so, that’s been the messaging thus far.”

Well, we hope the team is listening. Because if they are, this version of the Sky could be dangerous. For now, Reese gets to enjoy her spotlight – from another double-double (18 points, 17 rebounds) to making WNBA history. 

Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese makes WNBA history(ies) – again

The Chicago Sky may still be finding their rhythm this season, but one thing’s for sure – Angel Reese is making sure they stay in the spotlight. Paced by 2024 WNBA All-Star forward Angel Reese, the Sky have leaned on her for everything this year. Under first-year head coach, Reese has become the focal point of the offense. And she’s delivered. 

She’s averaging 10.8 points, a league-leading 11.8 rebounds, and a career-best 3.5 assists per game. Last year, she made a historic debut with All-Star and All-Rookie team honors, setting a WNBA rookie record by averaging 13.6 rebounds per game. And remember when she became the first rookie to record a double-double in an All-Star Game?

Well, the history train isn’t slowing down. Just last month, on another Tuesday, no less, Reese became the fastest player in league history to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds, surpassing Tina Charles. That milestone came in her 38th career game against the Phoenix Mercury.

Fast forward to this week’s showdown against the Sparks: even though the Sky trailed after the first quarter, Reese, along with getting into a scuffle with Rickea Jackson, already had two points, four boards, and two assists. That pushed her career totals to 604 points and 600 rebounds, making her the fastest in WNBA history to hit the 600-600 mark.

She wasn’t done. 

With 18 points and 17 rebounds on the night, Reese logged another career double-double. That puts her ahead of Candace Parker for the second-most double-doubles in a player’s first two WNBA seasons, now trailing only Tina Charles. So, as it stands now, the Chicago Sky superstar is rewriting the record books while carrying her team. And maybe (finally) the Sky are ready to rise with her.