Quick Three: Mystics 79 Sky 72
Chicago continues to trend in the right direction but lacks the polish needed to defeat early over-achievers Washington.
Tonight’s loss might look like one step forward, two steps back for the Sky after Sunday’s win over Connecticut—but there’s a strong case to be made that it was actually the opposite. Let’s dive into a few key steps forward Chicago took tonight, and the one critical step back that ultimately cost them a chance at a fourth victory.
1. Improvements Stick, But Sky Can’t Close
It’s easy to dwell on the negatives after a loss, but there were plenty of positives for the Sky to take from this one. Following Sunday’s win over the Sun, many of the improvements carried over—this time against a stronger Mystics team. The defense showed real connectivity, with minimal breakdowns in coverage, and that cohesion held up even as the lineups rotated. Offensively, the variety was solid. Chicago’s two long-term pillars—Reese and Cardoso—had prominent roles, reflecting what many fans have been asking for, and there was visible chemistry across units, regardless of whether players were coming off the bench or starting.
Still, the Sky couldn’t quite find a way to close, and the difference came down to the details. Even after it seemed like the game had slipped away, Chicago strung together a terrific defensive possession late—only to come up empty on a pair of crucial loose balls that could’ve given them a shot to tie. For a team still working toward becoming a consistent offensive threat, tight games will often hinge on these small moments. On Sunday, they created enough separation to avoid that crunch-time pressure. But a rough start to the third quarter tonight—just six points in the opening eight minutes—meant the game was tied heading into the final period.
With that context, Washington’s edge in hustle stats—like a 10-7 advantage in offensive boards in the fourth—became even more significant. The only true counter to that imbalance? A high-powered offense, which the Sky simply don’t have right now. Even with stretches of efficiency, the offense stumbled in key second-half moments, especially as turnovers resurfaced (more on that to come). To win games, this team has to win the margins. But development—not results—was always the top priority this season, and tonight showed real progress on that front. Against a Mystics team that’s posed problems for others across the league in 2025, the Sky showed improved cohesion and execution. The next challenge? Carrying that consistent play and momentum into upcoming matchups with Phoenix and Atlanta.
2. Unleashing Reese: A Long-Awaited Offensive Shift
As mentioned, development—especially for Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso—has to be the Sky’s primary focus in 2025, particularly in the wake of the Vandersloot injury. And tonight offered a glimpse of that vision coming to life. It was a showcase of the kind of offense many expected when Tyler Marsh was hired last fall. After all, if Unrivaled taught us anything, it’s that Reese can be dangerous in space. So, with Marsh’s modern offensive roots—including ties to the best post player in the game today, who also happens to be an athletic standout—it was fair to expect that Reese would get more opportunities to attack off the dribble in her second season. Until now, that hadn’t consistently materialized. But tonight, she got a real runway—and made the most of it.
Throughout the first half, Reese was repeatedly given the freedom to attack downhill, taking on a variety of matchups, including Stefanie Dolson and Kiki Iriafen. At one point, she’d gone to the well so many times in a row it briefly looked like she’d run out of gas. That kind of leash—letting her experiment with different finishes and assert herself as a slasher—is exactly what this Sky team needs. It’s not just about long-term development; it can be an efficient source of offense, particularly when Reese draws slower or less athletic bigs as her primary defender. Her ability to create advantages in these situations was evident tonight. If anything, the only critique might be that Chicago went away from it for too long after finding early success.
As with any action, balance is important. You don’t want to overuse something to the point it loses its edge. But when you’ve identified a weak spot, it also makes sense to keep pressing until it’s addressed. However Marsh decides to strike that balance, the big-picture takeaway is clear: these actions are now part of the offensive toolkit. And the more they’re used, the better both Reese and Marsh will get at identifying when, where, and how to deploy them within the broader flow of the offense. Add in the fact that Reese has been playmaking at a high level—her 5 assists tonight understate how many scoring chances she created—and there’s real potential here. These drives aren’t just about Reese seeking her own shot; they open doors for a more dynamic, inside-out attack overall.
3. Turnovers Undercut Progress
Whether we’re talking about the Sky as a whole (22 turnovers) or Reese specifically (7), all the offensive positives explored above were ultimately overshadowed by one familiar issue: giveaways. After struggling with turnovers for much of the season, Chicago had actually shown encouraging improvement in their last two games (12 in each), slowly closing the gap with the rest of the league—their 18.7 average heading into tonight was just 1.6 more than 12th-placed Golden State. But their attempt to break through Washington’s aggressive perimeter defense led to a cascade of mistakes, with five other players joining Reese in committing multiple turnovers.
That volume of errors is rarely survivable, but what made it especially damaging tonight was how directly it negated the Sky’s progress elsewhere. Their half-court defense was largely effective, yet they conceded 20 fast-break points and a staggering 40 (!!) points off turnovers—more than half of Washington’s total output of 79. That’s not entirely shocking against a Mystics team that thrives on perimeter pressure (Brittney Sykes continues to play at an all-WNBA level on both ends), but it’s not exactly typical either: Washington ranks just 8th in turnovers forced (14.4 per game) and 11th in points off turnovers (14.3 per). Sydney Johnson’s squad deserves credit for their intensity, but not every opponent has unraveled like this.
So, this remains a somewhat self-inflicted problem for the Sky. Despite the recent positive trend, they still commit the most turnovers in the league and surrender over two more points per game off turnovers (20.5) than the next closest team (LA, 18.3). And compounding the issue, Chicago couldn’t generate anything close to equivalent value on the other end—scoring just 3 points off 16 Mystics turnovers. That disparity defined a close game. If the Sky continue to play on such fine margins, they simply won’t win many of them while giving away that many easy points—even if other parts of their offense continue to grow.