The Tyler Marsh era began in heartbreaking fashion for the Chicago Sky fanbase, as the franchise was defeated convincingly by a Fever team that was dominant in every department. Supporters of the Sky would have been optimistic that this fixture was going to be a fiercely contested matchup. However, a sensational Caitlin Clark triple-double propelled Indiana to its first win of the 2025 campaign.
It was a night that was meant to be the start of an exciting season for the 'Windy City' franchise, in which they could make an ambitious push for a playoff berth. Instead, the Sky showed that they still have some serious issues they need to resolve before they can expect to claim a place in the postseason.
Chicago continues to be plagued by inefficiency issues
2024 was a woeful offensive year for the Sky under the tutelage of the previous head coach, Teresa Weatherspoon, in which her players could only scrape together an uninspiring 77.4 points per game. By hiring Tyler Marsh, the Chicago front office was desperately hoping that the rookie head coach could manufacture an identity and ignite a lacklustre offense.
It could be said that Marsh has been successful in establishing an offensive identity, as his team attempted 27 shots from 3-point range during their opening night matchup compared to their 2024 average of 14.9 3-point attempts per game. Despite the change in tactics, the Sky still struggled to put points on the board as inefficiency issues ran rampant through the roster. Marsh's side sank just 6 out of their 27 shots from downtown, equating to a worrying 3-point shooting percentage of 22 percent.
Just to add insult to injury, their shooting issues were not solely from deep, as Chicago's mid-range shooting and efficiency in the paint were equally as defective. 52 of their shots came from inside the perimeter, but only 17 of those shots found their way into the net. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso will shoulder most of the criticism from the resounding defeat, as they both ended the game with a field-goal percentage around 35 percent. Yet, it was Michaela Onyenwere who struggled the most offensively on the night, scoring none of her seven field goal attempts.
Tyler Marsh will be praying that these inefficiency issues can be attributed to the fact that this is only the first game of the regular season. With the WNBA training camps only lasting around three weeks, the players should be allowed more time to dust off any cobwebs that may still be lingering from the offseason.
The inability to create opportunities for Ariel Atkins
Chicago made their vision for the future clear when they traded their 3rd overall pick in the 2025 WNBA draft in a deal with the Washington Mystics for the sharpshooting guard Ariel Atkins. The 28-year-old averaged 14.9 points per game while shooting 43.7 percent from the floor. It was a move that indicated that the Sky front office did not want to hit the reset button in a year that saw their side fall to a 13-27 regular season record.
However, Atkins was used sparingly due to other options being prioritised in the game plan. The former Mystics shooting guard was limited to just six field goal attempts in 21 minutes on the floor, despite impressively sinking 50 percent of her opportunities (and both of her attempts from deep). In comparison, Kia Nurse had a poor performance by her standards, but was frequently handed the ball. Nurse only converted two out of her eight field goal attempts, and failed to score from 3-point range after six efforts.
Tyler Marsh continually allowed Reese to assume to role of 'point forward' and attempt to navigate the offense, even with the experienced guard on the floor. The sophomore sensation recently showcased her keen eye for playmaking as she registered six assists in the preseason defeat to the Minnesota Lynx. Regardless of this, the same tactic did not have the desired effect in the Fever matchup, as Reese chalked up five turnovers. This hindered Atkins' ability to space the floor and display her devastating shooting capabilities.
Again, it is still early in the 2025 WNBA campaign, and Atkins should be granted the time to find her role in the roster, but the Sky must find a way to get the sharpshooter involved in the offensive game plan if they wish to make this season a success.