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'There's a Frustration': Chicago Sky Coach Voices True Feelings After Narrow Loss

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Angelo Guinhawa | Last updated Aug 29, 2025 8:36 PM ET

The Chicago Sky suffered their third straight loss on Thursday, falling to the Phoenix Mercury in a tightly contested affair, 83-79.

It's also the second straight game that the Sky have lost by five points or less against playoff contenders, which is a significant leap considering how they had been blown out for much of the season. In fact, in their game against the Golden State Valkyries on August 15, they lost by 31 points.

Against the Mercury, Angel Reese led the way for the Sky with a monster double-double of 15 points and 20 rebounds, along with four assists and two blocks. Kia Nurse scored 17 for the Sky as well in the loss.

Despite the improvement that the Sky have shown, however, head coach Tyler Marsh admitted that he and his players couldn't help but be frustrated by their inability to win close games. Sure, there's something to take from moral victories, but at the end of the day, winning matters.

"I think you got to look at the glass half full type of thing. The last several games, whether it's been Seattle or Vegas or New York or in Phoenix and even a tough Connecticut team, it's like we've been in all these games and it's frustrating the games that we haven't pulled it out," Marsh shared.

"So there's a sense of like yeah, we know we can compete but at the same time there's a frustration in the locker room, obviously, of not pulling them out and being so close and not coming out on the other side of it."

On the bright side, though, Marsh pointed out that their recent showings highlight what they are capable of and what their potential is. With that said, he is not discouraged despite the frustration.

"We're going to keep fighting through the rest of the season. We got a tough one on Saturday, but we'll be ready for it," the first-year Sky coach added.

Another Failed Season for the Chicago Sky

The Sky had high hopes that they would have a better year compared to their 2024 campaign under Teresa Weatherspoon. After all, not only did they get a new coach in Marsh who has championship experience as an assistant, but they also had Reese and Kamilla Cardoso with a year of pro experience.

They also made key additions, bringing in Courtney Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins and Hailey Van Lith, among others.

However, following Thursday's loss, they dropped to 9-29 on the season with six games to play. That means the best they can finish the campaign is 15-29, or a 34% winning rate. It's worth noting that five of Chicago's final six games are against teams contending for a playoff spot.

Last season with Weatherspoon, the Sky won 32.5% of their games with a 13-27 record.

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

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