Sky @ Sun preview: Big difference between on/off court criticism

 Ariel Atkins rushed to teammate Angel Reese’s defense after Wednesday’s loss to New York, and with good reason.

"This is a 23-year-old kid. And the amount of crap that she gets on the day to day, and she still shows up," Atkins said. "So whatever questions y'all got about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. But all the other nonsense, it's irrelevant. We're here to play basketball and do what we do. We're having a hard time right now, at the end of the day.

"That's a 23-year-old kid who handles herself with grace. Her crown is heavy. So whatever else y'all want to come at her for the way that she acts, she has to build a wall. She has to have a wall. Because if she doesn't, people will break her down."

I try not to peek at my Facebook feed these days, but when my curiosity gets the best of me, one of the first things I see is usually some post, usually with some kind of racial undertones to grab more clicks from a segment of the population I loathe, ripping into Reese mostly for being a Black foil to Caitlin Clark. Obviously that’s not fair to either, but especially Reese, who has been great for the league on and off the court. 

You can go plenty of other places to get a lecture about racism in women’s sports, but it is unfortunately alive and well amidst the massive growth in the WNBA, and Reese - as a prominent and successful Black woman - is one of the main targets.

If we shift our focus to the Chicago Sky on the court, however, it’s been a rough 2025, and some of the blame has to go to Atkins and Reese (although certainly not all).

Reese (albeit just in her second year as a pro) does lead the league in rebounding at 11.8 per game, a whopping 5.0 coming on the offensive end. But she is shooting just 36.3% from the field and turning the ball over nearly four times per game.

That mirrors Chicago’s offensive trouble overall as the Sky are ahead of just the Sun in offensive efficiency heading into Sunday despite leading the league in offensive rebounding (34.0%) by a hefty margin. How? Well, they are the worst shooting team in the league (45.0 eFG%), have the most turnovers (17.5%), and go to the free throw line the league in the W (perhaps most baffling). 

That doesn’t even account for point guard Courtney Vandersloot now being out for the season with an ACL injury.

Those numbers ugly enough? We didn’t even get to the defensive end, which is also ahead of just Connecticut in efficiency (1.127 ppp). They’ve had some bad luck, like teams shooting 40.0% from behind the arc including Rhyne Howard hitting nine Friday night, but data (usually) don’t lie and they’re also third worst in two-point defense and middle of the pack in defensive rebounding, which seems baffling.

The Sky gave up at least one first-round pick for Atkins (plus an opportunity to swap with Washington in 2027), and she’s been decent (13.1 ppg), but - especially on the defensive end - not nearly worth the price tag she came with.

Chicago is young, as is the 2025 season, but there’s nothing it has shown so far (especially with Vandersloot out) that makes you think they will be a playoff team, let alone a contender. But things change, and boy would the Sky love a nice decisive road win over rebuilding Connecticut.

What does that mean for the Sun, coming back after a week off Sunday at high noon on national television?:

 

CHICAGO SKY @ SUN

Time: Sunday, Noon EDT

Place: Mohegan Sun Arena; Uncasville, Conn.

Records: Chicago 2-7; Connecticut 2-7

TV: CBS (let’s go)

Line: Connecticut -1 (first time favored all season)

Absences: Chicago - Courtney Vandersloot (out, season ending knee); Moriah Jefferson (out, leg).

Connecticut- Raya Marshall (out, ankle); Saniya Rivers (questionable, illness); Lindsay Allen (probable, hamstring/Achilles); Olivia Nelson-Ododa (questionable, ankle); Leila Lacan (out, still in Europe, might not be back until July).

 

History between them: The Sun outlasted the Sky in a thrilling five-game series in the 2022 WNBA semifinals, winning Game 5 on the road with a defensive masterpiece. We talk a lot about the Sun’s complete rebuild, but amazingly not a single player that appeared for either team will be on the floor Sunday (Vandersloot would have been the only one on the roster). The Sky’s starting five? Vandersloot, Candace Parker, Allie Quigley, Kahleah Copper, and Emma Meesseman. The Sun swept the Sky in four games last season, with Marina Mabrey seeing both sides of the rivalry.

What to look for: The Sky chose not to re-sign Chennedy Carter, and there were obviously reasons, no one else in the WNBA grabbed her either, despite all the injuries in the league (she is playing in Mexico). But with Vandersloot out (and even with her), there isn’t much coherence in the Chicago offense. Atkins started at the point Friday against Atlanta, and they actually led for most of the first half. You would have thought it would be Hailey Van Lith’s time to shine, but she only got four minutes, 19 less than old friend Rachel Banham, who did hit 3 three-pointers and could be a factor if left open.

We’ll have to see what a week of practice brought for Rachid Meziane, one thing is obviously the overall health of the team. Lindsay Allen and Olivia Nelson-Ododa seem on track to play on Sunday, and Nelson-Ododa especially will be sorely needed against the Chicago front line of Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. Even if they don’t shoot well, they will make layups, and Connecticut has fouled the most in the WNBA. We can’t forget how bad the Sun’s defensive performance in the paint was against Washington and Chicago, despite its offensive woes, presents similar dilemmas.

Chicago’s poor defense with Reese and Cardoso is a bit baffling, but it should open up both Tina Charles and Marina Mabrey to get some good looks. With confidence low for both teams, veterans have to step up and keep everything in line on national television.

Key players:  Chicago: Kia Nurse - Nurse, one of 624 UConn alums in the W (estimated), signed a one-year deal with the Sky, but has had her worst season as a pro, shooting just 34.9% from the field and averaging just 6.9 points per game (not to mention her trouble on the defensive end). She may be someone the Sky will look to trade if they fall out of the playoff race entirely, so Nurse should be motivated in her former adopted home state on national TV.

Connecticut: Jaelyn Brown - Brown should be a little more acclimated to the Sun after a week of practice and showed the ability to shoot in limited minutes, which should help Connecticut offensively, and if she can play solid defense, could see more minutes than you would think.

Advanced stat:  119 - Offensive rating for Lindsay Allen this season, tops on the Sun. A lot of that comes from not shooting very much and having a pretty good assist to turnover ratio, but a healthy Allen could make a difference going forward.

Tactical spotlight: It will probably be Saniya Rivers guarding Ariel Atkins and I like that matchup for the Sun, but Chicago’s size could cause problems elsewhere, meaning Allen, Jacy Sheldon, or Bria Hartley will be guarding Nurse, who could be a problem if she starts. Same with former Sun player Rebecca Allen, although it hasn’t happened for them yet this season.

Inside the numbers: 64 - Number of shots Hartley has taken this season, third on the Sun, but only half as much as second (Tina Charles). So as the veterans go, so have the Sun offensively.

Prediction: 82-80 Connecticut