ARLINGTON, Texas —The Chicago Sky completed Week 1 of the 2024 WNBA season with a bounce-back victory in their rematch against Arike Ogunbowale and the Dallas Wings on Saturday night. After trailing by as many as 12 points, the Sky came back to win 83-74. Moreover, rookie forward Angel Reese revealed what sparked Chicago's admirable comeback.

Reese ended the night with 11 points, nine rebounds, and two assists, and went 5-for-7 on free throws. She believes Chicago's energy shift and focus on the details helped them come back.

“I think everybody just came out with energy, did all the little things…blocks, steals, boxed out. Everybody did what they needed to do to get the win,” Reese said after the game.

Furthermore, Reese did not shy away from highlighting the major strength she brings to the Sky after her improved showing on Saturday.

“Even though I'm young, I know I bring a lot of energy to this team. My energy is contagious, and I just try to boost everybody up as much as I can,” Reese added.

Angel Reese was not the only one who played a role in Chicago's rally. The Sky had four other players reach double-digit scoring marks. Sixth-year guard Diamond DeShields had a stout showing on both ends of the floor. She amassed 16 points, five rebounds, two steals, and two blocks. DeShields played a big role in Chicago's defense and revealed how the team helped keep offensive threat Arike Ogunbowale at bay.

“We tried to focus on showing hands, making sure that every shot she took was contested. Obviously, she's a very tough shotmaker. All you can do is guard her the best you can and make sure that you have people around to make it as difficult as possible,” DeShields said.

Chicago's efforts earned high praise from head coach Teresa Weatherspoon.

Sky's stellar effort against Wings was spearheaded by Teresa Weatherspoon 

Angel Reese spoke about the energy Teresa Weatherspoon brings in every aspect of practice and the trust she is developing with the team. Weatherspoon displayed that energy at halftime when the Sky were down by double-digits, issuing a stern message to her team.

“In the locker room at halftime, she told us that we want it or we don't…Coach Spoon does a great job of pushing us and keeping our energy high. Being able to have a coach who's always high-energy [helps our confidence],” Reese shared.

Weatherspoon's halftime speech worked, and the Sky slowly closed the gap before pulling away in the fourth quarter.

“In order to get it done [we had to] better ourselves in the second half…we felt like we had a little momentum and it shifted in our favor,” Weatherspoon added.

Weatherspoon's team helped her earn her first career heading coaching win in the WNBA. The basketball legend's defensive identity is bleeding into her team. The Sky totaled 13 blocks against the Wings, which matched the all-time franchise high. The last Chicago reached as many was in 2015.

Chicago looks to continue development into one of the WNBA's most ferocious defensive teams. When asked what she thought of the Sky's defense execution, Weatherspoon gave a simple, but fitting response.

“That's who we are,” the head coach proudly claimed.

The Sky will continue to be all they can after their first win of the 2024 WNBA season.