HC Tyler Marsh Urges Chicago Sky Locker Room to Find Its “Identity” After 1st Season Win vs Paige Bueckers & Co

Finally, after 13 days, the Chicago Sky can breathe a sigh of relief. The drought ended as the team snapped a four-game losing streak with a 97–92 win against the Dallas Wings on Thursday night. Credit goes to Kamilla Cardoso, who set a career-high with 23 points, and Ariel Atkins, who followed closely with 17. While the win gave the Sky a glimmer of hope, improving their record to 1–4, it still wasn’t enough to impress Head Coach Tyler Marsh.

When the Chicago Sky entered Wintrust Arena to face the Dallas Wings, expectations were low. The Wings came in with a 1-4 record, while the Sky stood at 0–4. But from the opening tip, the Sky played like a team desperate for a win. Despite Dallas shooting an impressive 51.4% compared to Chicago’s 46.8%, Angel Reese and company edged out the victory with superior ball movement, timely three-point shooting, and relentless hustle on the boards. To their credit, the Wings played well, converting 37 of their 72 field goal attempts and shooting a healthy 36.4% from three, along with a near-perfect 90.9% (10-of-11) from the free-throw line.

Still, it wasn’t enough. The Sky grabbed 14 offensive rebounds to Dallas’ 9, creating valuable second-chance opportunities. Most importantly, Chicago committed just 11 fouls—minimizing easy chances for the Wings. All of that combined for a much-needed 97–92 win. However, when asked about the performance, Head Coach Tyler Marsh didn’t sugarcoat his response.

“A lot better than the first four… Oh, I think we’re a long ways away from a complete identity. I think we’re making steps towards it. I think we’ve gotten better each game, one through five. And so now it’s about how we progress over the next five. But we’re a long way away from a complete identity,” he shared.

The Sky’s regular season campaign has faced significant early challenges, culminating in an 0–4 start and a league-worst -60 point differential over their first two games. That’s a far cry from what Tyler Marsh was hired to fix.

May 22, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) talks to her teammates during the first half of a WNBA game against the New York Liberty at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

Remember when he came in? Marsh wanted to build a winning culture, a buleprint for success in the Windy City. “Coach Marsh is widely respected for the development of elite players and shares our goal of being a playoff and championship contender every year,” the Sky had issued a statement. But it wasn’t just a large picture. Marsh knew what he wanted to bring in.

His vision? Focus on the shooting. After the Sky finished with 14.9 3 pointers per game last season, the new HC was stern about never compromising on that. Secondly, move away from being one-dimensional. He has highlighted that enough times. Even in the pre-season game and especially for Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. “We want them to be effective in different phases of the game whilst also still highlighting the strengths of what they do,” he instated when he joined.

Fast forward to now, and the impact hasn’t been what the organisation had hoped for, especially when last year’s team had a better start at 2–3 under Weatherspoon. And for the field goal percentage, the team ranks 10th in the league with 40.9% average while 3-point reads 31.1% on 11th spot. It is no better with steals and blocks while turnovers have them at the end of the table.

So, when Coach Marsh says the team hasn’t found its identity yet, he’s being honest. Still, with talented pieces like Reese, Cardoso, and Atkins showing promise, the expectations remain high.

How’s the Chicago Sky improving despite four consecutive losses?

No doubt, the Chicago Sky’s season began with a string of lopsided losses, but they are finally starting to find their offensive rhythm. Just consider how much the Sky initially struggled to generate efficient scoring, particularly in the half-court. Notably, in their season opener against the Indiana Fever, they shot a mere 29.1% from the field, with an ice-cold 22.2% from three.

But, if you compare it with their fourth game against the Phoenix Mercury, Chicago backed up 89 points, led by Ariel Atkins with 21. And not just that, they followed up with a season-high 97 points against the Dallas Wings. Even their ball movement has improved, tallying over 25 assists in both games.

And that’s not the only area where progress is showing. Even defensively, the Sky have also made significant strides. For instance, in their Game 1 of the 2025 season, Fever grabbed 37 defensive rebounds compared to the Sky’s 29. But in their recent win over Dallas, the Sky flipped the script, out-rebounding a tough Wings squad 42 to 30, with 31 of those on the defensive end. That turnaround was made possible largely due to Angel Reese, who has been relentless on the glass, pulling down 17, 12, 15, and 9 rebounds in her last four games.

So, clearly, the Sky are trending upward. They’ve tightened up their rebounding, stabilised the offence through Vandersloot and Atkins, and unlocked a potent interior combo with Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. While turnovers and defensive lapses, still linger as areas for improvement, this is no longer a team in chaos. However, all of this will be put to the test in their upcoming rematch against the Wings.

The post HC Tyler Marsh Urges Chicago Sky Locker Room to Find Its “Identity” After 1st Season Win vs Paige Bueckers & Co appeared first on EssentiallySports.