Angel Reese’s 22 Points Not Enough as Sky Coach Fixates on Team’s Failures After Mystics Loss

A team with just three road wins all season traveled to Washington with only eight healthy players, hoping to pull off a miracle. Yes, eight. With Angel Reese back in the lineup after missing three of the last four games, Tyler Marsh’s squad stepped into CareFirst Arena knowing that one more injury could’ve forced their game to be postponed. But the outcome? Exactly what most predicted – a heavy 86-103 loss to the Washington Mystics.  It was frustration all around for Coach Tyler Marsh. And the officiating didn’t make things any easier either. Marsh picked up a technical in the second quarter after furiously confronting the refs when Angel Reese went down on a play.

Different from his usual demeanor, but pretty understandable. After all, Reese’s return was definitely quite important as she continued her great form, scoring 22 points on 6-16 shooting while also grabbing 13 rebounds, dishing out 3 assists, and getting 3 steals. It was a performance to savor, but the result wasn’t something to be remembered. Following the game, Coach Marsh also gave his opinion on the result and explained what truly went wrong.  Speaking in the postgame conference, Marsh highlighted the real reason why the Sky lost the game. “We didn’t do a great job at protecting the paint today, and that was the difference in the game,” he said, as shared in an X post by Karli Bell, host of the Courtside podcast.

Marsh: “We didn’t do a great job at protecting the paint today and that was the difference in the game.”

— Karli Bell (@KarliBell33) July 30, 2025

And that would be a fair assessment. The Mystics did score 52 points in the paint as opposed to Chicago’s 40. They also managed to grab 32 rebounds against a team known for its rebounding while shooting 50.7% from the field. It was an all-around solid shooting night for Washington, led by the rookie duo of Sonia Citron and Kiki Iriafen, who combined for 50 points.  But the biggest problem of them all wasn’t the fact that the Sky got dominated in the paint. It’s an issue that has been bothering the Windy City franchise for quite some time now. Turnovers. The Sky conceded 14 turnovers tonight, which led to an astonishing 26 points.

It marks the 6th game in a row where they’ve given up 20 or more points off turnovers, and to make matters worse, they give up a league-high average of 20.1 points off turnovers per game.  Perhaps that was bound to happen with Ariel Atkins, Hailey Van Lith, and Courtney Vandersloot all out injured. Replacement Sevgi Uzun has not yet joined the team, and she is expected to provide that much-needed backcourt depth the Sky have been craving. That said, Angel Reese didn’t shy away from sharing how tough it was for her to even suit up for this one.

Angel Reese talks about the loss against the Mystics

The Bayou Barbie didn’t get the result she was hoping for in her return from a back injury. Even with her 11th consecutive double-double, the longest active streak in the league, it still wasn’t enough to lead the Sky to their eighth win of the season. Their hopes of qualifying for the playoffs are diminishing at a rapid rate.  There were instances in the game where Reese was getting bullied in the paint, which is not something we are used to seeing.

It was a clear sign that she’s still working her way back from injury. She did acknowledge this in the post-game conference, saying, “Just trying to fight through contact as much as I can. It was ugly, very ugly for me. I do as much as I can for my teammates because I know they need me out there.”  Whether or not the Sky make the playoffs this September is still uncertain. But you cannot question Angel Reese’s performances this season. She’s shown up every game, giving her team everything she has. What could’ve been a season to celebrate for Reese has turned into an injury nightmare for her team. What do you think about her season so far? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.