After another rough performance against the Indiana Fever on Saturday, the Chicago Sky need forward Angel Reese to expand her offensive game.
The Fever crushed the Sky, 79-52, at United Center in Chicago. Star Fever guard Caitlin Clark didn’t play because of a left quad injury.
In 27 minutes, Reese grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds but scored just four points on 2-of-7 shooting from the field and committed three turnovers. Despite the poor showing from the 23-year-old forward, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh didn’t blame her.
“I don’t think Angel struggled tonight. I think we struggled as a team,” he said in a postgame news conference. “It’s not about Angel being better for us, it’s us being better for Angel, and everyone else around. And so, again, it made it tough for anybody to get a rhythm tonight.”
Reese’s supporting cast didn’t step up against the Fever. The Sky shot 3-of-15 from three-point range, had 19 turnovers and had no players score in double figures.
While it’s apparent the Sky lack the talent to be a championship contender, Reese still deserves some criticism.
Before the season, Reese told Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times that she would “continue to get better every year.”
Reese’s offensive numbers, however, have dipped. Through her first seven games this season, she has averaged 9.1 points per game on 30.9% shooting from the field. During her rookie season, the former LSU standout recorded 13.6 PPG on 39.1% shooting from the field in 34 games.
Teams have likely realized Reese — who has made four three-pointers in two seasons — isn’t a threat as an outside shooter, and thus, they can clog the paint when she gets the ball.
Her inability to finish through contact could be exacerbating her problems. According to Basketball Reference, she’s shooting an abysmal 28.9% on shots from zero to three feet.
Clearly, Reese must improve her shooting touch and develop more creative finishes to overcome her second-year slide. If she does, that should help the one-time All-Star get back on track.
