Amid Angel Reese absence, Sky guard tears into Chicago’s ‘gross basketball’

Since an impressive wire-to-wire victory over the Minnesota Lynx on July 12, the Chicago Sky has lost four consecutive games by double-digits.

For a rebuilding team, this can be considered part of the process of growing up and developing into a winner. Chicago’s past three games though have prompted immense concern.

Before the All-Star break, the Sky suffered a 37-point home loss to the Atlanta Dream at Wintrust Arena. On Tuesday, after five days off, the Sky lost 91-68 to the Lynx in Minnesota.

But Thursday night may have been the lowest point yet. With Angel Reese sidelined due to a back injury, the Seattle Storm took full advantage of the shorthanded Sky and inflicted a 95-57 defeat on sputtering Chicago

Guard Rachel Banham’s 13 points represented a small bright spark for the Sky, as did Kamilla Cardoso’s 13-point, 13-rebound double-double. But at the moment, nothing feels good to the Sky’s players about Chicago’s current competitive level.

“It’s felt gross,” Banham told the media following Thursday’s game. “It’s probably how you guys look at it. We’re just not consistent. It just feels gross. This is gross basketball and we know that.”

Sky head coach Tyler Marsh indicated to the media that Chicago’s talent base is not the issue. Rather, it is the “fight” that he is looking to address, irrespective of whether Reese returns to the court for the Sky’s next game against the Indiana Fever on Sunday afternoon.

“We’re looking for fight,” Marsh said. “Competing is what we’re looking for.”