Chicago Sky Coach Questions WNBA After Loss to Indiana Fever originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
On Saturday, the Chicago Sky visited the Indiana Fever, and basketball fans were deprived of the opportunity to see Angel Reese or Caitlin Clark in action.
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Reese missed her fifth straight game due to a back injury, while Clark continues to nurse a strained groin.
Saturday’s contest was never that competitive. Indiana jumped out to a 25-16 lead at the end of the first quarter, and its lead grew as large as 25 points. The Sky ended up falling, 92-70, and shot 38.4% from the field.
Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh reacts after receiving a technical foul during the second half of a WNBA game against the Washington Mystics at Wintrust Arena.Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
It was the Sky’s 10th loss in their last 11 games, and it dropped their record on the season to 8-23. Coach Tyler Marsh feels one thing in particular is holding his team back.
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Marsh went off on the officiating
Marsh pointed out how, even though his team attacks the paint quite often, it simply isn’t getting that many foul calls or free throw attempts.
“For a team that shoots at the rim as much as we do, for a player to shoot at the rim as much as Kamilla (Cardoso) does and to continuously go game after game without getting to the line — I think ‘Mil is 28th, 29th in the league in free throw attempts,” Marsh said. “I think as a team we’re second in rim attempts and 11th in free throw attempts. The numbers don’t correlate.”
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On the season, Cardoso averages 3.1 free-throw attempts a game, even though, according to WNBA.com, she has taken 212 of her 266 field-goal attempts this season from less than five feet away from the basket. She didn’t get to the foul line at all on Saturday.
She’s averaging 12.6 points and 8.2 rebounds a game this year, but on Saturday, she mustered just six points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field.
As a team, Chicago ranks 12th out of 13 in free throw attempts per game. When it has gotten to the charity stripe, it has made 75.9% of its attempts there, which is 11th in the WNBA. In its last three games, it has combined for a grand total of 21 free throw attempts.
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Overall, the Sky are 12th in the league in scoring at 75.8 points per game.
The big elephant in the room for the Sky
Without Reese, the Sky have been up against it. After struggling with her shooting as a rookie last season, she has improved her efficiency this season and is currently up to 44.4% field-goal shooting.
She has made 50.7% of her shot attempts in her last 10 games. Overall, she’s averaging 14.2 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists so far this year.
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Reese leads the Sky with 5.2 free-throw attempts per game, and roughly half of her shot attempts come from within three feet of the rim.
Her absence has created a big void for Chicago in multiple facets of the game. There is currently no timetable for her return.
What’s next for the Sky?
Chicago’s next game will be on Wednesday when it visits the Connecticut Sun. It will then return home to host the surprisingly competitive Golden State Valkyries on Friday and the Seattle Storm on Aug. 19 before an Aug. 21 contest versus the defending champion New York Liberty.
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At this point, one has to wonder if it would be best for the team to tank for a high draft pick, especially since it certainly shouldn’t rush Reese back. Chicago is currently tied for the WNBA’s second-worst record and is two games ahead of the Sun, who are at the bottom with a 5-24 mark.
Related: Diana Taurasi Had Strong Words About Caitlin Clark’s Level of Play
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Aug 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
