“It’s just the beginning. We’re building something special, and this win is a step in the right direction.” Chicago Sky’s head coach Tyler Marsh was triumphant about his team’s first taste of victory in the ongoing regular season. The team successfully broke the 0-3 losing streak as they stepped on the Wintrust Arena against the Dallas Wings and marked the scoreboard with a 97–92 win. With a highly optimistic outlook on the Sky’s recent win, Marsh indicated that the roster is up for more remarkable and special wins, and this feat against the Wings is just the beginning for something much greater.
As his first stint in Chicago Sky’s roster, HC Marsh’s journey hasn’t been a smooth one. “This win is a testament to the hard work and dedication of our players. We stuck together, executed when it mattered most, and showed the growth we’ve been striving for.” He paid a tribute to the team’s resilience of bearing the dark clouds and the storms, playing against all odds, and yet coming out stronger on the brighter side of the spectrum. He also highlighted how the locker room stayed together through everything and portrayed growth and dedication on the court.
Nonetheless, it wasn’t easy for a team that ranked lowest on the Eastern Conference standings to grab a win to prove their worth. While veterans like Courtney Vandersloot dished 13 points, nine assists and four steals against the Wings, it was Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso who led the team to their first victory. Talking about Reese on the recent episode of the Good Follow podcast, Rose said,
“We know she works hard and she’s crashing that glass. It’s not for lack of effort; she’s averaging 9 points, about 14 rebounds per game. But again, the efficiency she’s shooting even lower than she was last season and we wanted to see improvement.” While complimenting Reese on her work in the paint, Rose suggests that she lacks the efficiency she showed in the previous season.
But provided the entire pressure of leading the team lies on Reese and Cardoso’s shoulders, will the Sky star manage to lead or succumb to the after-effects? Referring to the players’ current status of the roster, the reporter said, “It feels like a lot is riding on her. And I also think that veteran group of Kia Nurse, Ariel Atkins, Courtney Vandersloot; they’ve come out slow and they were supposed to take more pressure off the shoulders of Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese and right now no one’s taking pressure off of anyone.”
Exposing how the vets should have stepped up by now, Rose blatantly called out Kia Nurse, Ariel Atkins, and Vandersloot, and highlighted their inefficiency in taking the pressure off of Cardoso and Reese.
No wonder the star player has been struggling this season. Despite leading the team against the Wings, Reese could only manage 6 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists. This is a shocking revelation for fans and analysts alike, who have witnessed Reese’s remarkable growth since her college days. And while Reese has the ability and the efficiency to make the right plays and score from the field, do her turnovers and inconsistency indicate that she is, in fact, cracking under the pressure already?
While Vandersloot did showcase flashes of pulling the team’s strings for the first time this season, the reporter suggested that Marsh & Co. could use veteran Rebecca Allen to distribute the pressure. Whether that actually happens remains to be seen. But as of now, the fans can clearly see that Reese is suffering partly due her own teammates.
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