Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Angel Reese Addresses 'Naysayers' Amid Awful Start for Chicago Sky

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sean Deveney | Last updated May 25, 2025 10:33 PM ET

Well, it was not a complete and utter blowout. For the Chicago Sky, perhaps that is a win in itself. Because after losing the first two games of the season, first by 35 points and then by 25 points, coming up with a loss to the Sparks on the road by a 91-78 count—only 13 points!—at least feels like progress.

Sorta.

Fact is, the Sky are now 0-3 and what looked like a promising offseason has led to a roster that just does not look ready to compete in the WNBA. The average margin of defeat is still coming in at a hefty 24.3 points per game. That’s not good.

Like it or not, second-year forward Angel Reese is the face of the franchise, and though she had arguably her best game of the year—13 points, 12 rebounds, four assists—she shot 5-for-11 from the field. One of those misses was a 3-point try, and five of her misses were layups within the restricted area.

Reese is now 10-for-33 shooting on the season (30.3%), which is poor if you’re a perimeter shooter. But it’s especially terrible for a post player who has taken just four shots from outside the restricted area. Reese is just 9-for-29 from within five feet of the basket this year. That’s 31.0%.

After the game, Reese was asked by a reporter in her press conference: “How do you keep up this hustle and this tremendous gameplay with all the naysayers?”

She replied, “I am just trying to focus on what I need to do for the team. I know my teammates need me to facilitate and rebound and do a lot of things on the defensive end, so I just try to let the game come to me, but I know what my teammates need me to do every night, so I try to do it as bast as I can.”

Reese was also asked about weathering the storm as a team, at 0-3. She pointed to the older players on the roster.

“We have great vets. … They’ve been in this league for a while,” she said. “They know what it takes to win in this league. We’re not happy obviously, and we’re not satisfied at all. We’re hungry for a win, and I think just taking our time, day by day, we have a lot more games left and we just have to stay poised.”

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: