The Chicago Sky know the formula for Angel Reese’s success.
They spent the last two years cultivating and supporting the forward’s tenacity on the boards. Her play in the paint was a key fixture of the Sky’s attempts to build a new culture under coach Tyler Marsh.
But even that familiarity couldn’t help the Sky outlast their former star in an 82-75 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Tuesday at Wintrust Arena, a game that marked Reese’s first regular-season return to Chicago.
For most of the game, the battle between Reese and former teammate Kamilla Cardoso provided every ounce of its billed hype. Reese pestered Cardoso at the top of the key and tapped rebounds up and out of her reach on the offensive boards. Cardoso slammed the ball — and, by proxy, Reese — out of bounds with a block in the fourth quarter.
Despite showing much-needed fight, the Sky still lack the legs to outlast a better opponent. The Dream scored four second-chance points — after offensive rebounds by Reese — in the final two minutes to crack open a double-digit lead after previously trailing in the clutch.
Reese led the Dream with 17 rebounds and 17 points, which included a rare 3-pointer in the first half. Her 57th career double-double in 75 games helped hand the Sky (4-8) their second straight loss and seventh in eight games.
“I don’t think it takes a game coaching against her — once you’ve coached her — to appreciate what (Reese) brings on a nightly basis,” Marsh said. “It’s really remarkable to watch. She’s showing continuous improvement each year in her game, no matter what aspect of it is.
“She’s a competitor. She’s a winner. She’s a fighter. She’s in a really, really good situation for her to continue to thrive and to compete for a championship.”
Reese earned an emphatic swell of cheers when she was introduced in the Dream starting lineup. Her No. 5 jersey dotted the stands.
But Tuesday’s game was played in front of an undersold crowd at Wintrust Arena. Most of the Sky Deck sat empty. Long stretches of courtside seats remained unfilled. The crowd reached its loudest pitch when Cardoso earned a jump ball with the score tied at the end of the third quarter.
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Chicago fans loved Reese, but they loved her most when she played for the Sky. Now she’s simply the latest addition to a lengthy list of beloved former stars who return to town a few times each season.
Two months after the trade, both sides remain a work in progress. The Dream (8-3) sit atop the Eastern Conference standings and trail only the Minnesota Lynx (10-2) leaguewide. Reese leads the league in rebounding (11.7 per game) and could break her own offensive rebounding record if she maintains her current rate of 5.6 per game.
She remains a shaky shooter whose offensive fit — while improved — isn’t perfect in Atlanta. Still, the Dream are resoundingly better with her consistency on defense and the boards.
The Sky, meanwhile, are struggling, only 2½ games ahead of the last-place Connecticut Sun (2-11). And they don’t own their first-round draft pick next year, which erases any silver lining for another losing season.
Injuries can be blamed but can’t be labeled a surprise thanks to general manager Jeff Pagliocca’s decision to sign three injured players (Courtney Vandersloot, DiJonai Carrington and Azurá Stevens) in free agency. The Sky can’t make 3s, contain the ball or stop themselves from fouling, key weaknesses that snuffed out any early positivity from a 3-1 start.
Skylar Diggins slammed the team’s collective effort after Sunday’s blowout loss to the expansion Toronto Tempo, citing a “loser mentality” on the boards and directing specific tactical questions back to Marsh.
“We’ve got to have more maturity and more leadership on and off the floor, from the players on the floor and from the staff as well, and more connectivity,” Diggins said after Sunday’s loss. “The games ain’t going to slow down and teams are going to keep getting better and better around us. So we’ve got to figure out how we’re going to turn this corner here. It’s been an extremely frustrating experience.”
The effort was improved Tuesday but ultimately didn’t change the team’s downward trend. It’s still early. Despite their poor start, the Sky are only 2½ games behind the playoff cutoff line. The return of Carrington and Vandersloot could offer a lift. Seasons are long for a reason.
Still, the early returns on the Reese trade don’t inspire confidence — especially with no evidence that the Sky suddenly will become successful in utilizing late first-round picks in the next two drafts.
In their first three years under Pagliocca, the Sky have failed to identify and develop talent with non-lottery picks. Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 pick in 2025, was cut in training camp this spring. Ajša Sivka, picked 10th last year, never made it stateside. Now Reese, the No. 7 pick in 2024, is gone.
These late first-round picks don’t have a static value. In Chicago, they’re worth less than ever. And that means the value of the Reese trade seems to rest largely on whether the Sky can win this season.
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Maybe that’s not a fair metric. The Sky couldn’t win with Reese. They still can’t win without her. And the cracks in the foundation of this organization run much deeper than any single player — or trade.