This season was supposed to mark a fresh chapter for the Chicago Sky. A new coaching staff, offseason signings, and promising draft picks. Instead, injuries and inconsistency turned it into a campaign more disappointing than Angel Reese’s rookie season. Now, with the team already out of the playoff race, you’d think they’d fade quietly into the background. Not really. They just pulled the unexpected. And yet….fans feel the Sky should tone it down a notch. Why? 

Spoiling Liberty’s night, Chicago reminded everyone that even without postseason hopes, they can still make noise. Reese and Kamilla Cardoso dominated the paint, each posting a double-double in the Sky’s 91-85 upset over second-place New York. Kamilla powered her way to 22 points and a career-high 16 rebounds, while Reese added 21 points and 10 boards. Just like that, after dropping 13 of its last 14 games, the win snapped a five-game skid.

Defense was the difference. Chicago strung together late stops, something they’ve struggled with all season. After New York drilled 10 threes in the first half, the Sky clamped down, holding them to just 3-for-14 from deep after the break. Ariel Atkins hounded Sabrina Ionescu into rushed looks, holding the league’s sixth-ranked three-point shooter without a single make. Atkins herself chipped in 19 points, nine coming in the fourth quarter, in a contest that saw 21 lead changes and 11 ties.

The difference might also be a healthy roster, finally. With Reese, Cardoso, and Atkins all back after extended absences, the Sky finally looked like the team they believed they could be. And while this season’s playoff hopes are gone, the focus is now on finishing strong. But the fireworks didn’t end with the final buzzer. As we already know, in today’s WNBA, the conversation always carries over online. And the Sky, never shy with their captions, leaned into the moment. They posted a celebratory graphic of Reese with the cheeky caption, “Told y’all Chicago has the better skyscrapers 🤭.”

Now, this was a subtle roast. After all, Reese and Cardoso have already earned the nickname “Skycrapers” for their towering presence in the paint. Meanwhile, New York City prides itself on being the land of actual skyscrapers, from One World Trade Center to the skyline’s supertall residential towers. Chicago flipped that identity right back on the Liberty.

For some fans, it was perfect petty energy. For others, it felt tone-deaf for a team already eliminated. 

WNBA fans go off after Angel Reese & Co.’s Liberty upset

The Chicago Sky might’ve just pulled off one of their gutsiest wins of the season, but not everyone’s buying into the hype. One fan flat-out said, “You’re eliminated…” As much as the Sky’s win over the Liberty was fun, it doesn’t change the reality. Kelsey Plum’s buzzer-beater already crushed both Chicago’s and Dallas’ playoff dreams. Even Paige Bueckers’ 44-point effort failed to save. Now, fans hoping to see Reese or PB on the postseason stage will just have to wait another year.

But then again, not every comment came out of frustration. Another fan threw in, “Fighting hard not to come in last place in the league…” which, depending on how you read it, was either straight-up sarcasm or maybe even a backhanded compliment. Because you know what, it’s true …Chicago may be down, but they’re not going down quietly. If this core can stay healthy, especially with Courtney Vandersloot coming back from her ACL injury, they could be a real problem.

For now, though, the Sky aren’t even that far off from where they were last year with Teresa Weatherspoon. Right now, they’re 11th, just a game ahead of the Sun, and trying not to slip beneath the three teams that have already been officially eliminated. Still, there was the other side of the spectrum, with a fan proudly declaring, “We are so back!!” And you know, in many ways, that felt true. Reese was only in her second game back from a back injury, Cardoso was cooking, and together they knocked off one of the league’s elite squads. 

Coach Tyler Marsh even said it best. “New York is a team that makes you feel like you’ve got to get everything back in one possession because of the potency they possess… we didn’t get overwhelmed.” That’s exactly what this felt like, not a team lost in elimination, but one reintroducing itself with fight. Of course, then came another shot. Someone laughed it off with, “Lmao. Eliminated from playoff contention and a 9-26 record. OK. But hey, if you win 1 more you’ll finally have double digit wins.” That one stung, but it’s not new.

Dallas got the same treatment earlier this season when they beat the Fever and captioned it, “next time you have a fever, please call out.” Fans roasted them too because, like Chicago, their season was already dead even though Indy was still in the race. That’s just the internet…no mercy. And yet, through all the sarcasm, the jokes, and the reality checks, there were still those who just wanted to celebrate. One fan wrote, “IM SO PROUD, THIS IS THE FIGHT WE NEED.” That might be the most accurate vibe of the night.

Because for one game, the Sky reminded everybody, and maybe even themselves, that despite the record, despite the playoff elimination, they can still hang with superteams.