Up and down doesn't even begin to describe the Chicago Sky's 2025 campaign.
Every win they earn, from their season sweep over the Dallas Wings to a key victory over the Minnesota Lynx, seems to be countered by continuous growing pains and a few key needs that have yet to be addressed. Chicago stands at 7-15 as the All-Star break comes to a close, or about two games behind where they were at the same point last year, after revamping the roster and changing their identity in time for what could be a pivotal 2026 offseason. It rises and falls through choppy waves of hopeful victories and discouraging losses, including a 2-2 split to end the first half of what could have been a turnaround season for the Windy City's own.
The Sky showed they may need to keep working at the drawing board after falling in an 86-49 loss to the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday. The Dream's starters combined for nine more points than the Sky scored as a whole. Rebecca Allen, who hit three of her 10 shots from the floor off the bench, led the Sky with nine total points. Chicago has had some trouble with one of the higher-rated teams in the Eastern Conference, but looked to be in desperate need of a scoring spark after not finishing with more than 13 points in a single quarter. The road may only get tougher for the Sky, who will face the league's top squad in the Lynx for the third time in four games following their return from the break.
Will Chicago be able to get back on track before their postseason window officially comes to a close? Where can the Sky improve to get the most out of their new-look roster and claim their rightful place in the postseason for the first time in two years?
The Sky desperately need consistent individual scorers
In theory, Chicago's new system should be the perfect one for uplifting a team looking to cap off a recent transitioning phase.
When the Sky are in rhythm, nothing can stop them from firing on all cylinders on offense. Things almost look as advertised as they lean on spacing, ball movement, and some much-needed consistency from inside the arc and the corners. Chicago has logged just over 90 points per game during their seven wins, a mark that puts them on par with the Indiana Fever at second in the league.
Angel Reese, a leader for the Sky in points and rebounds per game, has flashed her true potential as a future star for Chicago with an efficient 18.8 points per game this month. She's seeming to make the most of her new role on offense with confident drives and cuts to the basket, flashy passes and crossover moves, which paved the way for the second All-Star selection in her two-year career.
But theory can only get you so far.
It can take nothing short of a miracle to get the Sky back on their feet when they fall out of sync. They average 72.3 points per game during their losses, putting them just behind the Washington Mystics at near last place in the league. Their offense has nearly sputtered to a halt when things don't seem to be going their way, including in three games with a total of 60 points or fewer.
Things only seemed to take a turn for the worse when Chicago, whose young captain was out with a leg injury, hit just over 25 percent of its tries from the field on Wednesday. It marked the second time this season they were below 30 percent from the floor. The last time they finished a game with a mark of 30 percent or lower before this year was just a few seasons ago, when they scored just under 60 points in a 2023 loss to the Mystics.
After just hitting the halfway mark, the Sky will need to act if they are to consistently turn theory into reality.
It will take a while for Chicago to find a dependable, dominant scoring option to pair with Reese on the Sky. Still, whether it be a more immediate option or a pick in the draft, their biggest piece of the puzzle will be acquiring players who can create for themselves and shoulder the scoring burden when they need it the most.
The Sky have had the luxury of leaning on some of the WNBA's better offenses in the past, but have lost their scoring power with the departure of several notable players over the last few seasons. While their offense was lackluster last year, they could at least rely on guard Chennedy Carter to nab a bucket or two when they were in a pinch. Chicago will need to call upon key performers on offense who can light the spark they so desperately lack when they're out of their groove.
As long as the Sky have the talented tandem of Reese and Kamilla Cardoso at their side, there will always be a glimmer of hope in what has been a disheartening season for the rebuilding team. But, until they can find a No. 1 scorer to pair alongside the two, things may continue to be murky for a squad that pushed all their chips in on winning right now.