Sky star Angel Reese is trending toward a return. She went through all non-contact drills at practice Sunday and might 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 have been competitive. Their most recent defeat — Friday against the Valkyries — was the fourth time they had lost by 30 points or more, tying a WNBA single-season record.
Reese’s absence has been a major factor. She’s the leading rebounder in the league at 12.6 per game and also has been the Sky’s most creative playmaker. She’s averaging 3.7 assists, which ranks in the top five among post players, and supplies much of the team’s energy and other intangibles.
Her return won’t save the Sky’s playoff chances — they are 8-25 and in 12th place — but she can help restore competitiveness and fight, two traits they have 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, however, she has been back with the team, participating in practices and shootarounds. She sat courtside against the Valkyries, another sign of progress. If her ramp-up continues without a setback, she might be available when the Sky host the Storm on Tuesday.
At the very least, her presence already has injected life into practice. Marsh said her ‘‘fighting spirit’’ makes an immediate impact on the group.
Marsh also was pleased that the overall health of the roster is improving. Earlier this month, 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 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. She has played in five consecutive games since coming back from a calf injury, even though she was ejected from the game last week in Connecticut.
Without Atkins and Reese, the Sky were missing their most dynamic players on both ends of the court. In their absence, the offense stagnated and the defense collapsed. The Sky 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.
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