‘Absolutely not’ – Failing Chicago Sky urged to take drastic Angel Reese action as unwanted franchise history beckons

The Chicago Sky are still lost for solutions.

The team has lost a stunning eight games in a row, a feat that leaves them 12th in the WNBA standings, with only the lowly Connecticut Sun below them at 13th.

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In their most recent loss, against the Phoenix Mercury on Wednesday, the Sky struggled to control the game after a promising start.

After taking a six-point lead into the second quarter, the Sky gave up 29 points and 27 points in the second and third quarters, respectively, which put the game out of reach.

In the end, they lost 83-67 – a game that saw Reese absent for her second straight fixture.

It also saw them take a step closer to unwanted history. The franchise record for consecutive defeats stands at 13, set back in 2006, and it could be just over a week away from being equalled.

It has left experts looking for ways to understand how the Sky can get out of this slump and get back to winning ways.

The ESPN show Hoop Streams takes anonymous topics from WNBA fans and discusses them and the subject matter involved, such as whether it was time to take Reese out of the fire, given her injury situation and the team’s struggles.

On the latest episode one fan posted the question: “I can’t believe I’m saying this, but it may be time for Chicago to shut down their star player for the rest of the season.

“A spot in the playoffs is so far from reasonable, and injuries keep plaguing them… seriously, something needs to change, and it may be time for someone to go.”

It was a suggestion that was quickly dismissed by WNBA expert Ari Chambers.

“Who to go, not Angel Reese!? Absolutely not,” Chambers said.

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“If you’re Angel Reese, I understand that the Chicago Sky are not in good standing right now, but you, as the franchise player of that team, are going to do what you can do for your team.”

Chambers went even further to double down on the importance of Reese.

“This is the future of their franchise!” she added.

What has gone wrong for the Chicago Sky?

The Sky began the season with optimism after a strong offseason that saw them draft Hailey Van Lith and use their trade picks to land Ariel Atkins.

It even led to Reese making half-hearted championship predictions for the franchise entering the campaign.

However, with their 7-21 record, it’s likely the Sky won’t even make the postseason as they sit 11 games behind playoff position with 12 games left and look like a contender for the first overall pick.

“We’re not just losing games, we’re losing who we are,” said interim head coach Tyler Marsh, per the Chicago Sun-Times.

Absences do explain some of the team’s struggles.

Atkins has been sidelined since July 14, while Courtney Vandersloot is out for the season with a torn ACL.

And with Reese missing four of the last five games, the team are lacking a player with real on-court impact.

“We’re scrambling without our anchors,” said forward Michaela Onyenwere.

“There’s no steady voice in the huddle.”

Despite criticism of Reese by WNBA legends like Candace Parker, when she hasn’t been on the court, the Sky have struggled even more.

Chicago has only won once in the ten games they’ve played without Reese this season.

Many of those defeats have been blowouts, with four of those games lost by more than 30 points.

It’s hard to see any turnaround in form for the franchise until their stars get healthy and some rhythm is established

But that might not come by the end of the season.