The Chicago Sky’s rough start to the 2025 season took another hit Tuesday night in an 85–66 loss to the defending champion New York Liberty, dropping them to 2–6. Head coach Tyler Marsh didn’t sugarcoat it afterward, offering a blunt message: “We can’t continue to beat ourselves.”
Despite a strong showing from sophomore forward Angel Reese, the Sky struggled to find rhythm on either end. Marsh’s postgame comments reflected growing frustration as the team looks for solutions and leadership amid mounting losses.
Tyler Marsh Delivers Harsh Truth After Sky’s 85-66 Defeat to Liberty
The Sky dropped to 11th place in the team standings aftr the defeat. Consequently, Marsh didn’t hold back in his postgame remarks, expressing frustration over self-inflicted mistakes.
“We can’t continue to beat ourselves,” Marsh said. “We gotta continue to give ourselves opportunities. There’s been several games this season where we’ve had more offensive possessions than the opposing team, but we’ve hurt ourselves with turnovers, and a lot of that is our own doing.”
We asked Coach Marsh about his message to the team after another tough loss. #Skytown pic.twitter.com/TEiZ1PqpJC
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Protecting the basketball was a glaring issue, with the Sky committing 22 turnovers, nearly matching their 28 made field goals. Despite stretches of effective play for Chicago, Marsh emphasized the team’s inability to maintain balance on both ends of the floor.
“At times we’re getting stops and we’re unable to convert,” Marsh added. “At times, we’re getting scores and we’re not able to get stops. So we gotta find that consistency amongst the team. But at the end of the day, can’t beat ourselves. If we lose a game, it’s gotta be because the other team was just better and made more shots than we did.”
Reese posted her strongest performance as a pro with a season-high 17 points on 8-of-13 shooting and 11 rebounds. Her double-double was the 30th of her career, achieved in just 42 games—the fewest needed to reach that mark in WNBA history.
While her rebounding remains elite, her offensive efficiency remains a work in progress. Reese, who averaged 18.6 points and shot 49.8% over four college seasons, is still adjusting to the pro level after leading LSU to the 2023 NCAA championship.
Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 overall pick in April’s draft, hit her first WNBA 3-pointer with just over a minute left. Meanwhile, Dana Evans contributed 15 points and knocked down three shots from beyond the arc.
New York’s Nyara Sabally stepped into the starting lineup for the injured Jonquel Jones (ankle) and recorded nine points in 15 minutes. Chicago’s defense struggled to contain the Liberty, who pulled away early.
Just three years removed from a championship, the Sky are still trying to find their identity. Despite offseason reinforcements like Ariel Atkins and the highly anticipated return of five-time All-Star Courtney Vandersloot, cohesion remains elusive.
With Vandersloot now sidelined by a torn ACL, Chicago’s path back to contention just got even steeper—and Marsh’s call for accountability only grows louder.
