Sky’s “Win Now” Plan Off to a Rocky Start After 99–74 L to the New York Liberty

After a tough 35-point loss to the Indiana Fever in the season opener, the Sky dropped their home opener 99–74 to the New York Liberty.

Chicago Sky Center Kamilla Cardoso finished with 6pts on 3-8 shooting and 4 rebounds.

Two games into the 2025 season, the Chicago Sky look more like a team searching for itself than one ready to “win now”. After a tough 35-point loss to the Indiana Fever in the season opener, the Sky dropped their home opener 99–74 to the New York Liberty. Both performances raised more questions than answers.

Offensively, the Sky have struggled to find rhythm. Easy shots have been missed, ball movement has lacked pace and purpose, and turnovers have piled up with 23 against the Liberty alone, leading to 27 points for their opponent. Kamilla Cardoso (6pts and 4reb) has yet to regain the form she finished last season with, while Angel Reese, despite a double-double in game one, scored a career-low two points against New York. Ariel Atkins (8pts), brought in with high expectations, hasn’t found a consistent offensive flow. No player has been able to lead the way, leaving the team frustrated and inconsistent.

Chicago Sky Forward Angel Reese finished with a career-low 2pts (0-8 from the floor)

Coach Tyler Marsh addressed the turnover issues:

“I think it’s a plethora of things... we’re not creating as much space as we’d like to, to be able to get off clean passes. It’s a couple of things.”

He added turnovers have been “a thorn in our side”:

“This is the second straight game that we’ve had more possessions than our opponent but we come out on the bottom end. We have to be more efficient.”

Defensively, the Sky have been vulnerable, struggling to close out on shooters and defend transition. The Liberty hit four of their first five three-pointers in Chicago’s home opener, and Indiana exposed similar weaknesses days earlier. Communication breakdowns and slow rotations have led to easy baskets and open cuts.

Veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot acknowledged the early struggles but emphasized the team’s determination:

“It’s still early. Obviously, we have a lot to work on, a lot to improve, but we’re gonna figure it out. We’re not gonna let two losses in a really good league stop us from the path we are choosing... we’re gonna watch film, figure it out, and learn from our mistakes.”

Chicago Sky Point Guard Courtney Vandersloot dropped 14pts (5-11) and 4 assist.

Rebecca Allen, a key contributor off the bench, highlighted the importance of energy and effort:

“I want to be assertive when I come into the game... Sometimes it’s the little things like boxing out and attacking the boards or passing the ball quickly to quicken the pace. I just want to bring good energy and lift everyone up in this moment for sure.”

That’s the bigger issue. General Manager Jeff Pagliocca set the tone at Media Day with a clear “win now” message. But two games in, the Sky’s performance falls far short of that vision. There’s plenty of time to develop chemistry and close the gap between promise and performance, but in a fast-moving league, the clock is already ticking.