Since the latest updates, one could say that it has not been the best of seasons for the Chicago Sky. Recently, Angel Reese informed her fans, “What a year. I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season-ending injury.” Since then, a shockwave has gone through the news circle with everything tumbling around for the Windy City. However, Chicago is most affected by this, as they now try harder to save the last playoff spot from the Atlanta Dream.

Reese’s teammate Chennedy Carter, after recently returning from illness, will now need to step up more than ever. As the leading scorer for Teresa Weatherspoon’s squad, the guard has the most pressure to bear right now.

With Angel Reese gone, Carter has big shoes to fill

Donning her unapologetic personality, Angel Reese has faced every adversary with a strong face. She has been one of the biggest reasons why women’s basketball draws so much attention. Coming into the WNBA, Angel Reese made this year a historic one for the league. However, her unfortunate injury has now forced Chicago to leave her on the sideline and walk the path ahead without her.

There has never been a player in W’s 27 years of history that has matched Reese’s rebounding levels. Her dominance on the glass has been one of the primary reasons how Carter has been able to do her magic as well. Currently, the 5-ft-9 guard is averaging a team-high 17.5 points. After missing four games, she played the LA Sparks. There, the connection between the two Sky stars was on full display.

On the box score, Reese’s 6 of 24 points that night resulted from Chennedy Carter’s assists. This tallied up to 33.33% of the rookie’s shots being created by her veteran teammate. Angel Reese too returned the favor. Of her 12 rebounds against Los Angeles, at least three came from Carter’s misses or ended up being the guard’s shots.

Angel Reese is the second-best scorer on the team, putting up 13.6 points along with 13.1 rebounds. But now, the only most reliable scorer in Sky’s starters is Carter. As a result, the pressure now seems to have fallen on the Texas A&M alum. Her scoring has proved to be a pillar of strength for the Sky this season. She is leading the league in fast-break points, which gives Chicago the much-needed pace in their rather slow playing style. And so has her defense.

But handling the pressure at this point has become a pure gamble for the 25-year-old. Although Carter is well-versed in making her own shots, having Reese around impacted her scoring. In fact, for a long time, they dominated their matchups and fans are dearly calling them — the Chenn-Barbie duo.

With the key piece missing from the duo, Carter just might need to amp up her game to bring Chicago the much-needed boost. As for yesterday, they did win over the Dallas Wings, pushing them off of the playoff contention table for the better.

Stay tuned for more such updates and join us for the exciting second episode of the “Dual Threat Show” as our host BG12 sits down with Georgia Bulldogs star and Mountain West All-Freshman Team Selection, Asia Avinger