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CHICAGO — The Chicago Sky returned home to face Tina Charles and the Atlanta Dream on Saturday evening. Chicago got out to another slow start in the first half, which eventually led to their 89-80 loss. Angel Reese had a stout performance, but the absence of Elizabeth Williams impacted the Sky's interior presence. Reese emphasized Chicago's need for improvement with a strong but encouraging take after the tough loss.
“Yeah, it's tough. It's tough because I hate losing, and I try to go out there every night and try to be as consistent as I can. I think having consistency 1 through 12 is important from the jump ball to the end.” Reese said during Saturday's post-game press conference. “It's not the coaches or the other team, it's us. We've been in games. We've come back many times, so I think we internally have to look ourselves in the mirror and figure out what we need to change quickly.”
Reese finished the night with 13 points and 13 rebounds, notching her third consecutive double-double. In addition, she became the third player in WNBA history with 13-plus points, 13-plus rebounds, and 5-plus steals in a game, joining Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker, per the Sky.
Chicago will continue to need her interior presence with Elizabeth Williams' devastating knee injury. Reese's experience playing against a veteran like Tina Charles will only help her get better as she and Chicago's other players use accountability as a tool for improved team success.
Angel Reese, Sky reflect after tough Dream loss
In addition to her play, Reese has the task of developing more chemistry with fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso. Cardoso made her first career start on Saturday after the Sky announced Elizabeth Williams' lengthy absence from her meniscus injury. Cardoso is still ramping up her minutes after dealing with a preseason shoulder injury, but with time, she will be a great anchor for Chicago.
The 2024 third overall pick finished the game with 13 points and five rebounds in 21 minutes. Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon expects Cardoso and Reese to continue the have the high frontcourt standard that Elizabeth Williams set early on in the season. Weatherspoon also discussed the primary culprit in the team's defeat to the Dream.
“Slow starts, getting ourselves in a hole and having to dig out the hole. The way we've had to dig out of the hole the last few games. So we have to figure it all out, and we will figure it out,” Weatherspoon shared.
Weatherspoon noted that Chicago needs to be better with their execution. They turned the ball over 26 times on Saturday.
The Dream led the Sky by as many as 18 during the game. They were on fire in the first half, shooting 44 percent on three-pointers, and held Chicago to just 25 percent on their own deep-range shots. But the Sky stormed back and cut the deficit to five with a few minutes left in the game. Atlanta got stops when they needed them and executed in the final minutes to put Chicago away. Tina Charles led the Dream with 22 points and seven rebounds.
The former league MVP was a big reason the Sky could not maintain momentum. Nevertheless, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon was adamant that Chicago would watch film and work on their weak points for future matchups.
Chicago will reset for another intense rematch against the Connecticut Sun on June 12th. Angel Reese and company will be sure to bring their best game against the Eastern Conference powerhouse after being bested 86-82 in their May 25th home opener.
