SHOCKING Collapse! Angel Reese’s Nightmare Home Opener Sees Missed Shots & Layups Plague Sky as Fans Boo – Is This the Beginning of a Major Problem in Chicago?

Months of buildup had framed this game as a statement moment for the Chicago Sky and their young superstar, a chance to erase the sting of last season’s playoff miss and showcase Reese’s evolution as a leader.But by the final buzzer, what remained was a shell-shocked crowd, a deflated locker room, and a performance so uncharacteristic of Reese that even her staunchest defenders struggled to rationalize it.

Her stat line told the story: 4 points on 2-of-13 shooting, zero rebounds—a first in her career—and four turnovers. But numbers only scratch the surface of a night where every facet of her game collapsed under pressure.

The first quarter began innocently enough, with Reese converting a textbook putback layup on the Sky’s opening possession. But that would be her last make for over 20 minutes.

On the next trip downcourt, she missed a wide-open jumper at the free-throw line, the ball clanging off the front iron. Moments later, she fumbled a pass from Courtney Vandersloot, leading to a fast-break layup for the opposing point guard. The crowd, initially roaring after every scrappy rebound or defensive rotation, grew eerily quiet as the misses piled up.

By the end of the period, Reese had airballed a hook shot in the paint, stepped out of bounds while trying to draw a charge, and committed a reach-in foul that sent the league’s worst free-throw shooter to the line for a one-and-one. “Angel looks like she’s trying to do too much,” said analyst Doris Burke during the timeout. “Her timing’s off, and when that happens, the whole team tightens up.”

The second quarter devolved into self-parody. With the Sky trailing by eight, Reese dribbled the ball off her foot while attempting a spin move near the three-point line, surrendering possession. Two possessions later, she missed a layup so badly that the ball caromed off the side of the backboard, prompting a grimace from her head coach.

When she finally drew a foul with 4:30 left in the half, the crowd let out a collective sigh of relief, hoping the free throws might spark a turnaround. But she clanked both attempts, a rarity for a player who shoots 78% from the stripe.

The broadcast cut to a shot of her mother seated courtside, her face frozen in a pained smile. By halftime, the deficit had ballooned to 15, and the home opener that promised so much had become a referendum on Reese’s readiness to carry a team. “She’s in a fog,” said former WNBA star Candace Parker. “Sometimes, players just have nights like this. But the scary part is, she’s making the easy stuff hard.”

As the third quarter unfolded, the narrative shifted from concern to outright panic. Reese’s struggles were no longer isolated; they were contagious. Teammates hesitated to pass her the ball, opting instead for safer options like Kamilla Cardoso and Kahleah Copper.

When she did handle possessions, she seemed disoriented, failing to recognize defensive rotations or exploit mismatches. A telling moment came with 6:12 left in the period: after stealing a lazy pass, Reese had a clear path to the rim in transition.

Instead of finishing strong, she attempted a behind-the-back pass that sailed out of bounds, drawing audible groans from the stands. “There’s a confidence missing tonight,” added analyst Rebecca Lobo. “She’s usually so assertive. Right now, she’s playing like she’s afraid to make a mistake—which guarantees mistakes.”

By the fourth quarter, the game was all but decided, but the damage to Reese’s reputation was complete. On one possession, she bricked a layup so softly that the shot clock operator immediately reset the timer, mistaking it for a block. On another, she turned the ball over after staring at an open teammate for two seconds before dribbling into a double-team.

When the final buzzer sounded, the scoreboard read 92-68, a humiliation that felt especially cruel given the stakes of the home opener. As fans filed out, many muttered variations of the same question: “Where was that Angel Reese we saw last year?”

Social media, never shy about dissecting athletic failure, exploded with takes. Memes flooded timelines: one showed Reese’s face Photoshopped onto a statue of the Easter Bunny, captioned “Easter Egg Hunt: Find the Missing Touch.”

Another juxtaposed her missed layup with a quote from Charles Barkley: “You can’t teach height. Or touch, apparently.” Analysts debated whether the struggles stemmed from technical flaws, mental fatigue, or something deeper.

“This isn’t just a bad shooting night,” argued ESPN’s Michael Wilbon. “She looked like she forgot how to play basketball. That doesn’t happen without some serious cracks in the foundation.” Others, including retired WNBA guard Sue Bird, urged caution. “One bad game doesn’t define a career,” she tweeted. “Let’s not forget: she’s still 22. We’ve all had nights where nothing goes right.”

Postgame reactions offered little clarity. Reese bypassed the media scrum, leaving teammates to field questions about her demeanor. “She’s human,” said guard Lexie Hull.

“Everybody has off nights.” When pressed on whether there were lingering issues from last week’s spat with referees, Hull shrugged. Coach Teresa Weatherspoon took a more direct approach: “Angel’s gotta look in the mirror. We all expect more from her—and she knows it.”

Meanwhile, front-office sources hinted at growing impatience in management circles. The Sky had invested heavily in Reese, betting their present and future on her development, but her inability to elevate the team raised uncomfortable questions about franchise-building strategies. “It’s not panic time,” insisted one insider. “But we need to see growth. Fast.”

The implications for Chicago’s season loomed large. At 1-3, the Sky found themselves in a precarious position, needing a swift turnaround to avoid falling out of playoff contention. For Reese, the challenge was twofold: regaining her scoring rhythm while rebuilding trust with teammates who’d grown wary of her decision-making.

History suggests comebacks are possible—Stephen Curry once endured a 3-for-17 playoff game, and Diana Taurasi famously went 0-for-11 in a Finals loss—but those episodes became footnotes thanks to subsequent success.

Whether Reese can follow suit remains uncertain. “The great ones don’t let one game define them,” said Bird during a postgame show. “But they also don’t ignore what went wrong. Angel’s gotta figure this out—fast.”

As the Sky’s bus pulled away from the arena, the weight of the evening settled over the franchise. For fans, the night raised existential questions about leadership and talent evaluation.

For Reese, it was a crucible moment—a test of resilience against the backdrop of a hypercritical spotlight. And for the WNBA, it served as a stark reminder that even the most promising stars can falter when expectations collide with reality.

In the coming weeks, every move Reese makes will be scrutinized: her shot selection, her body language, her ability to lead. One thing is certain: greatness is rarely a straight line. Whether this becomes a detour or a dead end depends on what happens next.