Tyler Marsh Disagrees With Angel Reese Claim in New Chicago Sky Locker Room Revelation

“We will make the playoffs next year!!” This was the bold declaration of Angel Reese back in September 2024. Fast forward a year, and the statement carries no weight. The Chicago Sky will miss the WNBA playoffs for the second consecutive season with Chi-town Barbie on the roster. The team has failed to reach even 10 wins, let alone contend for a postseason spot. Frustration among players is only natural, but this elimination has exposed a deeper issue within Chicago’s management.

The disconnect between the players and coaching staff has become evident through the team’s dismal 9-29 record. To make matters worse, a recent Sky disagreement following the 83-79 Mercury loss between head coach Tyler Marsh and Reese laid those cracks wide open. During the postgame interview, Reese claimed the team got too comfortable in the last few games after taking a lead initially, and that they needed to be more competitive. But a few minutes later, coach Marsh openly shot down the earlier stance of Angel Reese.

“You’ve got to look at the glass half full type of thing. Last several games, whether it’s been Seattle or Vegas or New York or in Phoenix, and even a tough Connecticut team, it’s like we’ve been in all these games, and it’s frustrating that we haven’t pulled it out. So there’s a sense of like, ‘Yeah, we know we can compete,’ but at the same time, there’s a frustration in the locker room. Obviously of not pulling them out and being so close and not coming out on the other side of it. But we know what our capabilities are, what our potential is. We’re going to keep fighting,” he said.

The Windy City team has known hustle all season long. Even as their leading veteran voice, Courtney Vandersloot, was ruled out for the season, as Ariel Atkins missed a good portion, and even when the scorecard failed to see upticks, Marsh refused to throw the season. No matter the situation, the head coach is stern about fighting to the end. Which spirit, the 23-year-old forward admits, the Sky lacked in the game against Phoenix.

Earlier in the interview, Reese said, “I think sometimes we get a little comfortable. We’re not a lot of times used to being up starting the game… We can’t get comfortable, no matter what. I think we’re at one point, 17 to 8. We got comfortable. I can say that we got comfortable. When you get comfortable with a good team, they’ll bust your a–.”

Everybody knows Angel Reese is dominant under the basket. Add to this mix Kamilla Cardoso, and no rebound is reaching the opponents. However, the team started the season in a bumpy way. In their first game of the season, the team had only a 29.1 percent field goal percentage. This abysmal start was followed by a 0-8 game by Angel Reese against New York. Why did a player poised for the Rookie of the Year title last year stumble so badly at the start of her sophomore year? Well, Tyler Marsh took the blame for that.

“I’ve got to be better at getting the ball into our post players,” said Marsh after the NY loss, admitting he needed to do a better job facilitating his bigs like Reese and Cardoso. However, the team never really recovered from the disparity in communication and is now out of the playoff race. Even Chi-town Barbie has lost hope in her team.

Angel Reese comes to terms with the grim future ahead

The comments made by Reese following the loss to Phoenix show her clear discontent with her team. While Chicago fans may wish things were different, their star player has come to terms with the reality that their playoff hopes are now dead. When asked what her mindset was for the remaining games following playoff elimination, she said, “Just to play hard as hell these last nine games. Give it our all, that’s all we’ve got.”

But then came the real kicker from Reese. “The game can be taken away from you anytime. I’m sure that all of us might not be on this team next year together. We might lose some teammates, or trades could happen. That’s part of the game,” said the Sky player. The season is not over, and Reese is on terms with seeing some of her teammates leave.

While this shows maturity from her end, it also reveals the sad reality of Chicago. They desperately need changes, be it different strategies or players. Furthermore, the coaching staff and players need to be on the same page if they want a chance to get into the playoffs next season.