Quite a few things changed in the Chicago Sky team. For one, their deep shooter Marina Mabrey is gone. In exchange, they received Moriah Jefferson and Rachel Banham from the Connecticut Sun. However, one thing that was new for the franchise before the season even began was the head coach herself. Hence, one person who can relate to Teresa Weatherspoon is the Sky rookie Angel Reese. And she does that just right.

Sharing what goal T-spoon has shared with the young group for their second half, Angel Reese told Kaitlin Sharkey of the WGN News, “Just being able to build on our chemistry. Continue to grow. She knows it’s not gonna be easy. This is her first year too. So, we kinda have to give her some grace. Listening to our teammates who have been here. E. Will (Elizabeth Williams) and Diamond (DeShields) have done a great job of veteran leadership, understanding that this league, and they know it’s not easy.”

Although the Sky will be facing some tough West Coast teams in the second half, Angel Reese wishes to look at the positive side of things. She told Sharkey, “It is still a long season. We have 20 something games. Obviously, plus playoffs. So, I think just being able to listen to each other and being able to have that relationship where the coaches do listen to us, and we listen to them. I’m excited for the second half.”

Currently, Chicago is at the eighth playoff seed. However, they not only need to keep this last position to be able to make the postseason action but also tackle some tough competitors.

What will Angel Reese and the Sky face in the second half?

Unlike her ROTY rival Caitlin Clark‘s Indiana Fever, the Chicago Sky did not exactly get the worst schedule. Despite having already finished the series with the leading WNBA team and the Eastern Conference’s table toppers– the New York Liberty– things have not mellowed down for the Sky. Going into the second half, they will be facing the ruthless West Coast teams. However, they did win over the Las Vegas Aces in their last showdown before the Olympics break, which should give the team a little boost of confidence.

Apart from the Aces, they also have to face the Commissioner’s Cup Champions — the Minnesota Lynx. The last time the two met in June, the Lynx took away a 70-62 victory from the Wintrust Arena. Chicago will also be taking it up to the Los Angeles Sparks, which they played in the very first month of the 28th WNBA season.

But first, they will be welcoming the desert into the winds as they host the Phoenix Mercury. Although three of the starters for Phoenix will be returning from the Olympics, we can expect them to keep their competitive fire high.

Certainly, it will be a clash worth watching. Not just because Diana Taurasi will be meeting Angel Reese for the first time in the season, but also because this win can make a lot of difference to both teams. On one hand, Chicago can take an upper berth from the Indiana Fever. On the other hand, the Phoenix Mercury can solidify their grip at the sixth position if they win.

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.