Angel Reese is trending toward a return. The Sky’s All-Star forward went through all non-contact drills at practice on Sunday and could be cleared for contact as soon as Monday.
“We’re still gauging to see how her body reacts today and just take it from there,” head coach Tyler Marsh said.
It’s the best news the Sky have gotten in weeks. They’ve gone 1-10 since the All-Star break, and very few of those games were competitive. Their most recent defeat against the Valkyries was the fourth time they’ve lost by 30 points or more, tying a WNBA single-season record.
Reese’s absence has been a major factor. She’s the league’s leading rebounder at 12.6 per game and also been the Sky’s most creative playmaker. She’s averaging 3.7 assists per game — top five among post players. She also supplies much of the team’s energy and other intangibles.
Her return won’t save the team’s playoff chances. The Sky are 8-25 and sit in 12th place. But she can help restore competitiveness and fight, the traits the team has been missing.
“With 11 games left we don’t want it to be a game where people are just looking to play Chicago,” Marsh said. “We want to know there’s going to be a fight each night.”
Reese has missed all but two games since the All-Star break while rehabbing a back injury. During that stretch she stayed home from road trips and even missed a game at Wintrust Arena.
Recently, though, she’s been back with the team — participating in practices and shootarounds. She was courtside Friday against the Valkyries, another sign of progress. If her ramp-up continues, she could be available Tuesday when the Sky host Seattle.
At the very least, her presence has already injected life into practice. Marsh said her “fighting spirit” makes an immediate impact on the group.
He was also pleased that the overall health of the roster is improving. Earlier in August, the Sky’s game day injury report sometimes listed half the team.
“This is the first time in a long time that we’re getting to a point where we’re having as healthy as a team as we can, with the exception of Sloot,” Marsh said after practice, referring to Courtney Vandersloot’s season-ending knee injury.
Ariel Atkins’ return is also a positive. The guard has now played in five consecutive games since coming back from a calf injury, though she was ejected from the game in Connecticut.
Without Atkins and Reese, the Sky were missing their most dynamic players on both ends of the floor. In their absence, the offense stagnated and the defense collapsed. The Sky currently have the worst defensive rating in the league.
Getting Reese back won’t change the standings, but it will change the look and feel of the final stretch.