The Chicago Sky engaged in their second Indiana Fever matchup of the 2024 season on Sunday, and it did not disappoint. Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark’s squads went toe-to-toe, but the Fever pulled away to win the matchup 91-83. Reese continued her stout interior presence with her sixth straight double-double, but she was understandably discontent with the outcome of Sunday’s game.
Reese felt like she and the Sky were on the wrong side of foul calls. To add fuel to the fire, officials called her for a flagrant 1 after she inadvertently hit Caitlin Clark on the head during a block attempt in the third quarter. The rookie forward was not shy about expressing her dissatisfaction with the referees’ judgment.
“Going back and looking at the film, I’ve seen a lot of calls that weren’t made. I guess some people have a special whistle,” Reese said during Sunday’s post-game press conference.
The officiating did not quite go Angel Reese’s way, but she must not forget that the whistle works in her favor sometimes too. For example, fans saw officials eject Connecticut Sun forward Alyssa Thomas for her excessive foul on Reese in Chicago’s home opener. Regardless, the rookie forward understands that she and the team must focus on the positives and find ways to improve.
“I think we just have to get back to the drawing board and figure things out. I think we were playing really hard [on the inside],” Reese added. “I’m proud of Kamilla [Cardoso] going out and getting a double-double.”
Cardoso finished the game with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Meanwhile, Angel Reese notched her own strong performance with 11 points, 13 rebounds, five assists, and two steals. Reese is passionate about finding team success and recognizes that part of breaking Chicago’s losing streak involves self-reflection.
“I mean it’s tough. I’m not used to losing like this. But [I can either] be mad, sad about it, or I’m going to get up and figure out where I could be better before the next game,” Reese said.
Sky continue to search for answers after slump-extending loss to Fever
On the bright side, Chicago addressed their issue with slow starts on Sunday. The Sky outscored the Fever 26-23 in the first quarter. Still, Caitlin Clark and the Fever hung around and took control of the game’s momentum. Clark ended the matchup with 23 points, nine assists, and eight rebounds. She also went 6-for-6 on free throws.
Marina Mabrey and Teresa Weatherspoon emphasized Chicago’s need to focus on executing better offensively. Both said that Chicago must improve their “on the board” execution. In other words, the team must do a better job of running plays drawn up in the huddle. Mabrey expressed that Chicago must stay focused and not get worried about distractions during the game to remedy this problem.
“The game moves faster [on the court] than when you’re thinking about something [on the board in the huddle],” Mabrey said. “I think you have to understand what the play is trying to do, and I think that would help [us] execute better.”
Teresa Weatherspoon echoed the need to execute planned plays better. Yet, she was satisfied with Chicago’s sustained level of effort despite not getting the result they wanted. She left reporters with an encouraging message as the Sky prepare for their next round of games.
“[Chicago’s relentlessness] is their energy, their fire, the way they are. It’s the way I am as a coach,” Weatherspoon said. “No matter what the situation is, you gotta go back and find it. And this time will find it. I have no doubt in my mind this team will find it.”
Christopher Smith is a sports journalist who primarily covers the NBA, NCAA Basketball, NFL, and NCAA Football for ClutchPoints. The Aurora, Illinois native received his education from Creighton University, and he has bylines at Last Word on Sports and FanSided.
