The Chicago Sky faced another uphill battle against the Washington Mystics on Friday night. Chicago trailed by as many as 15 points but rallied and had a chance to tie the game with a few seconds left. Yet, the Sky came up short 83-81 after missed free throws handed them their third straight loss. Angel Reese put on another impressive showing, but Teresa Weatherspoon's squad yearns for more.
Weatherspoon issued a simple, but vital message to the Sky after they continued their habit of slow starts and inefficient closes on Friday.
“40 minutes,” Weatherspoon said during the postgame press conference. “It takes 40 minutes [of consistent play]. That's the message.”
Teresa Weatherspoon dove deeper into the details of Chicago's up-and-down play. She noted some positives from the first half but reiterated that the Sky must be more consistent to break their slump.
“[We were] more aggressive in the second half. A little better trying to get to the rim. There were deliberate actions more so to speak. Trying to get downhill a little bit more. Bigs were being more powerful down there a little bit more. Those things have to start from the very beginning. And if we can do that, we'll give ourselves an opportunity to win games” Weatherspoon said. “Digging out of holes in this league is tough.”
The Sky scored just 10 points in the first half compared to the Mystics' 24. To Chicago's credit, they outscored Washington in the second and third quarters. Yet, they could not capitalize in the end. The Mystics received a standout effort from Ariel Atkins, who scored 29 points on Chicago's defense and helped close out the victory.
Dana Evans and Chennedy Carter provided more insight into how the Sky can move forward as they approach pivotal matchups.
Sky look for solutions after slump-extending loss to Mystics
Dana Evans had one of her better offensive performances in the game. She scored 15 points and went 2-for-2 on three-pointers. However, she knows her team must change something to stop the bleeding. Evans looked to more intense film sessions as a possible solution
“We have to watch film to see what we can be better at. We have to point out [where we went wrong] to see what we're not doing” Evans said.
Evans used the example of highlighting consecutive possessions where Chicago went scoreless. She emphasized the need to break down why it happens and how they can improve from it.
Backup guard Chennedy Carter took a broader approach when proposing improvements.
“We just gotta play harder,” Carter said. “We're talking about [improvement] every day and trying to find the different ways to get everybody in their right spots.”
Carter finished the night with a much-needed 16 points and six rebounds off the bench. The fourth-year guard continues to shine as a reliable source of offense for the Sky. A handful of analysts and fans believe Teresa Weatherspoon should insert Carter into the starting lineup. Yet, for the moment, Weatherspoon believes she should remain a sparkplug off the bench, emphasizing that Carter has “accepted her role.”
One bright spot the Sky are holding onto is the continued consistency of Angel Reese. Reese notched her fifth straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Friday. She became the fourth rookie in WNBA history to record a double-double in five-plus consecutive games, joining Tina Charles, Cindy Brown, and Teaira McCowan.
Chicago will continue to need Angel Reese and the rest of her teammates' best efforts as they look to gain momentum in another pivotal matchup against the Indiana Fever on June 16th.
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