Reese Controls the Glass as Sky Overwhelm Connecticut, 88–64

CHICAGO: The Chicago Sky have spent much of the 2025 season trying to turn their frontcourt potential into winning basketball.

Wednesday night provided one of the clearest examples of what that could look like.

Angel Reese finished with 18 points and 14 rebounds, Kamilla Cardoso added 16 points, and Chicago defeated the Connecticut Sun 88–64.

The 24-point margin was a welcome departure from the close defeats and difficult offensive performances that have defined so much of the Sky's season.

For a roster attempting to develop around two young interior players, the significance extended beyond the final score.

Reese and Cardoso were central to the offense.

Chicago created enough scoring separation to prevent Connecticut from turning the contest into another late-game struggle.

And the Sky produced one of their most comfortable victories of the year.

Reese establishes the foundation

Reese's 14 rebounds were central to Chicago's ability to control possessions.

Her rebounding has been one of the most consistent elements of the team's season, even during long stretches when the Sky struggled to win.

That consistency matters because rebounding influences both ends of the floor.

A defensive rebound prevents an opponent from receiving another scoring opportunity.

An offensive rebound can extend Chicago's possession, forcing defenders to remain engaged and potentially creating a higher-quality shot.

Reese has repeatedly demonstrated the ability to pursue missed shots and establish position against larger or more experienced opponents.

Against Connecticut, she paired that activity with 18 points.

The result was another double-double and another indication of how extensively she influences Chicago's offensive and defensive opportunities.

Cardoso supplies complementary production

Cardoso's 16 points gave the Sky another effective interior option.

That pairing remains important.

When Chicago receives meaningful scoring from both Reese and Cardoso, opposing defenses cannot devote all their attention to one post player.

The Sky have opportunities to attack different matchups and create pressure through size and rebounding.

The challenge is finding enough spacing and ball movement to make those advantages useful.

Against Connecticut, Chicago's 88 points demonstrated more effective offensive production than the club has frequently generated.

The Sky entered the contest averaging well below the league's strongest scoring teams.

Eighty-eight points offered enough offense to create a substantial margin while allowing Chicago's defense to prevent the Sun from keeping pace.

A result that doesn't require a miracle

The Sky have spent substantial portions of the season competing without consistent scoring support.

Even productive individual games from Reese or Cardoso have often ended in defeat because the team could not generate enough offense across the rotation.

Wednesday was different.

Chicago scored 88 while holding Connecticut to 64.

The 24-point difference meant the Sky did not need a last-second shot or an extraordinary late defensive stop.

The team produced enough separation to win comfortably.

That is an important developmental step.

Young teams often gain confidence from close victories, but controlling an entire game requires another level of coordination.

The Sky demonstrated that they could create a result through sustained production rather than one unusual sequence.

What the season has revealed

Chicago entered September with a disappointing record.

The Sky's roster has experienced injuries, inconsistent offensive production and difficult defensive matchups throughout the year.

Those challenges are not erased by one win.

But Reese and Cardoso remain central to any reasonable assessment of the team's future.

Their rebounding and interior abilities provide a foundation.

The organization must build around those strengths with dependable shooting, passing and perimeter defense.

The win over Connecticut offered another example of why that work is worth pursuing.

Reese collected 14 rebounds.

Cardoso scored 16.

And Chicago generated a 24-point victory against a conference opponent.

The bigger challenge is still ahead

For the Sky, the result should serve as evidence rather than a conclusion.

Chicago can create substantial interior pressure when its frontcourt receives effective opportunities.

But the team still needs to produce that quality of basketball against stronger opponents and across longer stretches.

A successful rebuilding process cannot depend exclusively on isolated victories.

It requires establishing habits that survive difficult matchups.

Wednesday offered one of the clearest examples of the style Chicago wants to develop.

The Sky controlled the game through productive frontcourt play and enough collective offense to finish.

For one evening at Wintrust Arena, the blueprint was visible.