2-word message from Teresa Weatherspoon to Sky after third consecutive defeat

The Chicago Sky faced another tough battle against the Washington Mystics on Friday night. Chicago trailed by 15 points, but rallied and had a chance to tie the game with seconds remaining. Yet the Sky fell short 83-81 after missed free throws handed them their third straight loss. Angel Reese turned in another impressive performance, but Teresa Weatherspoon’s team is yearning for more.

Weatherspoon sent a simple but vital message to Sky after continuing his pattern of slow starts and ineffective closes on Friday.

“40 minutes,” Weatherspoon said in the post-match press conference. “It takes 40 minutes (of constant play). That’s the message.

Teresa Weatherspoon dove deeper into the details of Chicago’s up-and-down game. She noted some positives from the first half but reiterated that Sky need to be more consistent to emerge from their slump.

“(We were) more aggressive in the second half. It’s better to try to reach the edge. There were some pretty deliberate actions, so to speak. I try to go down a little more. The giants were a little more powerful there. These things need to start from the beginning. And if we do that, we’ll give ourselves an opportunity to win games,” Weatherspoon said. “Digging holes in this league is difficult.”

The Sky only scored 10 points in the first half, compared to 24 for the Mystics. To Chicago’s credit, they dominated Washington in the second and third quarters. However, they were ultimately unable to capitalize. The Mystics received a stellar effort from Ariel Atkins, who scored 29 points on Chicago’s defense and helped close out the victory.

Dana Evans and Chennedy Carter have provided more insight into how the Sky can move forward as the crucial clashes approach.

Sky seeks solutions after crisis that extended loss to Mystics

Dana Evans had one of her best offensive performances of the game. She scored 15 points and went 2-for-2 on three-pointers. However, she knows her team needs to change something to stop the bleeding. Evans considered more intense movie sessions as a possible solution

“We need to watch film to see what we can be better at. We need to point out (where we went wrong) to see what we’re not doing,” Evans said.

Evans used the example of highlighting consecutive possessions where Chicago went scoreless. She stressed the need to understand why this is happening and how they can improve.

Backup goalie Chennedy Carter took a broader approach in suggesting improvements.

“We just have to play harder,” Carter said. “We talk (about improvement) every day and try to find different ways to put everyone in their place.”

Carter finished the night with 16 points and a much-needed six rebounds off the bench. The fourth-year guard continues to shine as a reliable offensive source for the Sky. A handful of analysts and fans think Teresa Weatherspoon should insert Carter into the starting lineup. Yet for now, Weatherspoon believes she should remain a sparkplug, emphasizing that Carter has “accepted her role.”

One positive that Sky is clinging to is Angel Reese’s continued consistency. Reese notched his fifth straight double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds on Friday. She became the fourth rookie in WNBA history to record a double-double in five-plus consecutive games, joining Tina Charles, Cindy Brown and Teaira McCowan.

Chicago will continue to need the best efforts of Angel Reese and the rest of his teammates as they look to gain momentum in another crucial game against the Indiana Fever on June 16.