Rebecca

Allen

Allen got going in the second half of third quarter when the Sky were down by as many as 36 points. She hit three three-pointers in three minutes of third quarter play on dribble hand-offs and passes that honored Allen’s off-ball movement. But besides that, Allen struggled to add to other statistical areas. Usually she’s a connector offensively, who typically has a few assists a game in addition to some blocks and rebounds on the defensive end. With the Sky struggling to shoot the ball in conjunction with the large front court Allen played against, it made sense why those numbers were down.

Since Angel Reese is out of Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Dream with also a leg injury, veteran center Elizabeth Williams will take her place in the starting lineup. Expect rookie Maddy Westbeld to get a little bit more run for the Sky, but Chicago might also go smaller playing Rebecca Allen more minutes at the power forward position to try to take advantage of potential mismatches. If Atlanta’s size is too much for the Sky to handle playing smaller, Williams and Kamilla Cardoso could be in for a heavy work load on Wednesday.

With Ariel Atkins out with a left leg injury for Wednesday afternoon’s game against the Dream, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh has inserted point guard Jefferson into the starting lineup. Atkins didn’t return after halftime during the Sky’s Monday night game against the Lynx after tweaking her leg right before the end of the second quarter. Dealing with her own knee injuries this season, Jefferson has seen limited playing time. She has only played in three games while averaging four minutes of play per game. Expect guard Kia Nurse and wing Rebecca Allen to get more minutes on the floor as a result of Atkins’ absence.

Allen logged her best offensive performance of the season on Wednesday night, scoring at least 20 points for the first time this year while also setting a new season-high in made three-pointers. Wednesday’s performance came on the heels of a scoreless outing against Washington and marked the first time she’d reached double figures since the opening month of the season. Allen led all scorers and, as a result, could potentially hear her number called early and often on Saturday against the Lynx.

Inserted into the starting lineup for Sunday’s game, Onyenwere was solid in her 26 minutes on the court. However, there was an injury scare, as the Sky forward took a shoulder to the chin during the first half. After a brief spell in the locker room, Onyenwere returned and finished in double figures for the second time this season. Rebecca Allen, who was moved to the bench, finished with two points, one rebound and two assists in 15 minutes. Depending on when Kamilla Cardoso returns from the FIBA AmeriCup competition, Onyenwere may receive another opportunity to start when the Sky face the Mystics on Tuesday.

Ever since Courtney Vandersloot went down and tore her ACL, Reese has taken it upon herself to play more like a point-forward, and the results for Reese have paid off. She facilitated to six different teammates in Kamilla Cardoso, Elizabeth Williams, Ariel Atkins, Michaela Onyenwere, Rebecca Allen and Rachel Banham. Unleashing Reese’s passing has made her offense much more efficient. She’s not forcing as many tough shots near the basket, but instead is getting better looks on cutting actions and is being screened for. She went 4-for-4 in the third quarter on a couple of putbacks for teammates in addition to a couple of field goals where she had the advantage and could use her athleticism to score.

Cardoso was the Sky’s highest scorer and most efficient player on an evening when Chicago stayed at bay with Atlanta until the final quarter when the Sky got out scored 30-16 by the Dream. Cardoso won her matchup against Brittney Griner, proving that she’s a much more athletic back-to-the-basket center who can even put on the floor a little bit and drive, especially when Griner is guarding her. Without a natural point guard on the floor for Chicago, both Rebecca Allen and Rachel Banham made sure to get Cardoso the ball in advantageous spots on the floor. Cardoso was responsible for half of the Sky’s 12 second chance points while also reaching a season rebounds with nine. Cardoso is yet to notch a double-double this season, a metric she reached seven times in 2024.

The Sky have made two changes to their starting lineup, one forced by a season-ending injury. Banham steps into the void left by Courtney Vandersloot, who suffered a torn ACL during Saturday’s loss to the Fever. Hailey Van Lith will continue to come off the bench as Chicago brings the rookie along gradually. The other change is Allen, who steps in for the struggling Kia Nurse. Chicago is in dire need of spacing offensively, and Allen is capable of providing it.

Once Courtney Vandersloot left the game with a knee injury, Williams was relied upon for additional minutes. While Williams is a center, her decision-making without the ball in her hands helped a Sky offense that looked lost without their point guard. Williams ran pick-and-roll actions with Rebecca Allen who also proved to make sound decisions in a game when the Sky struggled to score points. Williams is another player that head coach Tyler Marsh should be prepared to play more minutes especially when rookie guard Hailey Van Lith is expected to earn more playing time as result of Vandersloot’s injury. Does Marsh relegate either Angel Reese or Kamilla Cardoso to the bench in favor of Williams simply to have a veteran and steady presence on the floor? It might not be such a terrible idea.