The Chicago Sky were already stitched together with dental floss. Kamilla Cardoso has gone overseas. Courtney Vandersloot is out for the season. That left Angel Reese—no longer a rookie, but still learning the unforgiving rhythms of Year 2—as the lone anchor in a storm-tossed frontcourt. From the jump, she wore the weight like a second jersey. Then came the first-quarter flagrant on Kayla Thornton, who was hard to miss in neon green kicks—and even harder to stop, torching the Sky for 29 points. But it wasn’t the early foul that defined Reese’s night. It was the final minute that unraveled it all.
With 47 seconds left and the shot clock winding down, the Valkyries looked trapped. Tiff Hayes, stuck near the logo, had little room to operate. Kia Nurse had switched onto her. The shot clock showed one second. And then—contact. Reese reached. Whistle blew.
“But man, for the Sky, you had the Valkyries dead to rights in the world, with no lifeguard in sight. And you bail out the Valkyries,” the commentator sighed, disbelief coating every word.
It was a bailout. One that handed the Valkyries a fresh possession—and, moments later, a 79–74 lead. Reese scored on the next play to cut it to three. And then, with eight seconds between the shot and game clock, she fouled again. This time, intentionally. On Hayes. The Valkyries had no reason to shoot. The Sky could’ve played it out. Instead, Hayes went to the line and calmly sealed the win.
Even Bay reporter Kenzo Fukuda stated on a post on X, “Chicago and Angel Reese did not have to foul there. The shot clock and game clock were separated by 7 seconds. One stop and they would have had the ball back with 2 timeouts.”
Chicago and Angel Reese did not have to foul there. The shot clock and game clock were separated by 7 seconds.
One stop and they would have had the ball back with 2 timeouts
— Kenzo Fukuda (@kenzofuku) June 28, 2025
Reese finished with 17 points and 18 rebounds—her third straight game with 15+ boards. But numbers don’t always win the argument. Not when the game’s most pivotal moments go the other way.
Thornton’s 29 were a career high. She hit four triples and sank clutch free throws. Hayes had 13. Kaitlyn Chen added 10. Golden State, now 7–8, made the most of every mistake. Chicago, at 4–11, made too many.
Ariel Atkins led the Sky with 20. Nurse had 17—12 in the first half. Rachel Banham added 11. But it all circles back to Reese.
The sophomore is learning, no doubt. But in a season where Chicago can’t afford mental lapses, Friday night felt like a turning point. Not just for the standings, but for how Angel Reese is perceived under pressure.
Fans React to Angel Reese’s Fouls, which Cost Sky the Win
In fact, fans’ perception of Reese shifted after her multiple fouls in the game.
One fan wrote, “Horrible foul by Angel Reese wtf was that?? I never saw her make such a poor basketball decision like that.”
The comment referred to Reese’s fourth foul—the one on Tiffany Hayes with just one second left on the shot clock. It was confusing, unnecessary, and essentially a zero-IQ basketball play. Ironically, it led to just one point, but although Reese tried to redeem herself with a layup on the next possession, the damage was done. The timing skewed the possession game, giving the Valkyries enough room to let the clock wind down in their next possession.
Chicago, USA, May 22, 2025: Angel Reese 5 Chicago Sky in action during the game between the Chicago Sky and New York Liberty on Thursday May 22, 2025 at Wintrust Arena, Chicago, USA. NO COMMERCIAL USAGE Shaina Benhiyoun/SPP PUBLICATIONxNOTxINxBRAxMEX Copyright: xShainaxBenhiyoun/SPPx spp-en-ShBe-8P6A1946
Another fan said, “Why did Angel Reese foul right there?? Thanks!!”
No one really knows, maybe she was going for a steal. But all she had to do was stay in front of Kayla and force a tough shot or bait her into holding the ball until the shot clock expired.
One fan asked, “Makes no sense? 8 second differential & you foul ??”
They weren’t alone in their confusion. With the Sky trailing 76–79, the shot clock was at 14 and the game clock at 21—an 8-second gap. Yet for reasons unclear, Reese fouled Tiffany Hayes instead of letting the possession play out. No one really knows why head coach Tyler Marsh and the staff opted to foul instead of going for a stop and playing for the final shot.
Especially when Kia Nurse was 5-of-11 from three and Rachel Banham 3-of-6—all they needed was one clean look to tie and force overtime.
Another fan vented, “Then another stupid foul to end the game??? What the hell is going on—Golden State dawg, is the air messed up or something?”
Maybe it was Golden State magic. Or maybe just the frustration of having to play with an entirely different lineup. Whatever it was, it clearly got to Reese—and possibly even the coaching staff.
One fan didn’t hold back, posting, “Tyler Marsh calling for a foul down 3 with 23 seconds on the game clock and 11 seconds on the shot clock—lmfao what a pure clown show. Teresa Weatherspoon would’ve gotten banned from Chicago for doing something like that.”
The sting hit deeper than just strategy. It was a reminder of last year’s firing—on September 26, 2024, after the Sky missed the playoffs, Teresa Weatherspoon was let go. Angel Reese, visibly shaken, called the decision “heartbreaking” and wrote, “She was the only person that believed in me.” Now, Marsh—one of the few in her corner—may be walking the same tightrope if the Sky keeps unraveling the way they are.
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