The Chicago Sky hosted the New York Liberty at home Thursday and suffered a disappointing 99-74 loss to the league's defending champions. The game was frustrating for the Sky's fans, but there's an important context to keep in mind: the Liberty are the best league in the team, and going up against them isn't going to be easy for anyone this season.
The match also saw Courtney Vandersloot face off against her former team for the first time this season.
What went wrong for the Sky against the Liberty
There were some positives for the Sky during the game. The team's bench rallied in the first half and were responsible for the bulk of the team's first 23 points, a major feat for players who don't always get a lot of clock. But the Sky was still no match for the elite shooting work of 2024 Finals MVP Jonquel Jones, who appeared entirely incapable of missing a shot. Sabrina Ionescu also offered the Sky a lesson in offense, deftly slicing through anything and everything the Sky could launch at her defensively. Jones had 8 points by the end of the first, and Ionescu had added on 10 of her own.
Everything began to fall apart for the Sky soon into the second quarter after they were outscored 25-9 by the combined efforts of Jones and Breanna Stewart, who each added 12 points of their own. But the entire Liberty team showed up and showed out, and the Sky were barely hanging on for dear life (the team headed into the half with 15 turnovers and no real solution in sight).
The top of the third was promising, with the Sky launching an 8-0 run, but the team ultimately gave up 20 turnovers (that the Liberty translated to 22 points).
By the end of the game, it was clear the Sky were simply outshot, outpaced, and outmatched by a team that is wildly talented. This loss coming off the team's performance against the Fever doesn't look great for the Sky, but the team will likely identify issues that need to be addressed and put in the work before they head off to Los Angeles to face the Sparks on May 25.
The Sky will certainly have a lot to prove. As ESPN's Alex Philippou shared on X, "The Sky's -60 point differential this season is the worst through the first two games of a season in WNBA history."
Angel Reese's performance disappointed fans
Many fans hoped to see Reese dominate, but her shooting was off for much of the game. She ended the match with 12 rebounds, 1 assist, and 2 points, a statline that even the game commentators described as "fascinating." Reese, who is no stranger to online discourse surrounding her elite rebounding, repeatedly missed layups throughout the night, struggled when tasked when bringing the ball up the court, and appeared visible frustrated for much of the game.
Reese failed to make a field goal in the first half of the game despite having five attempts. She racked up 8 rebounds (6 offensive) during the same span of time, but several fans turned to social media to voice their opinion on whether or not the Sky star needs to put in more work at the rim.