Angel Reese shines on her 2K night as Sky defeat Minnesota Lynx 87-81

Every seat at Wintrust Arena featured a 2K26 Angel Reese shirt to celebrate her being featured on the latest cover of the game. Photo by Mia Nuñez

Every seat at Wintrust Arena featured a 2K26 Angel Reese shirt to celebrate her being featured on the latest cover of the game. To further commemorate the night, Reese delivered an impressive performance against the first-place Minnesota Lynx.. 

Reese led the Sky in the first half with 15 points and finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists. Guard Ariel Atkins helped secure the victory with 27 points and two steals.

"I was really pumped for Ariel because there's a lot of chatter and talk. She's washed. She's this, she's that, and she comes out every night and just puts her head down and grinds,” Reese said. 

Fans witnessed the Sky playing their best basketball of the season. Every player contributed crucial minutes, successfully pulling down rebounds and “mebounds." At the half, the Sky held a 57-44 lead and beat the Lynx on the boards 11-23. 

“Angel and Mill [Kamilla Cardoso] really set the tone early,” Head Coach Tyler Marsh said. “Angel was aggressive, and I've said it before, when she's aggressive, we're a better basketball team because of it.”

While the Sky played well, they struggled in the third quarter. After three quarters, the Lynx had closed the gap to 73-67. Earlier in the season, the Sky would have allowed mistakes to become losses, but that wasn't the case tonight. Coach Marsh says overcoming third-quarter struggles is crucial to the team's success.

"We just make up in our minds that we're not letting one mistake turn into two and two turn into three,” Marsh said. “I think that focus and being able to stay in the moment and have a next-play mentality has been kind of where the shift has kind of come over the last several games."

While Reese and Atkins led the team in scoring, Marsh emphasized that it was a team victory. Michaela Onyenwere dominated the glass, and veteran leadership has been a voice for the team's perseverance.

"When I say team win, it's not just for the players that got minutes,” Marsh said. “It extends all the way to the end of the bench as well, and through our staff.”

Although it was a team win, tonight was all about celebrating Reese. Her teammates warmed up in the 2k shirts, and Onyenwere spoke about the importance of honoring the rising star.

“It's a testament to her work at such a young age,” Onyenwere said. “She's been such a catalyst for us and everything that we do, offensive and defensively. So I'm so happy she's getting her flowers. She deserves it. She's a great teammate."

Reese was beaming when talking about the shirts. “I’m so excited,” Reese said. “To see it filled in the arena is great, and to see my teammates with it on, too. I'm happy.”

This victory was significant for the Chicago Sky, but the real test will be consistency. They remain 10th in the league and must face the Lynx again on Monday.