Angel Reese’s Costly Turnover Hinges Momentum in Sky’s Loss to Minnesotta Lynx

On Monday night, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese—usually a force of nature on the boards—committed a baffling turnover that fueled a critical Minnesota Lynx run just before halftime. The miscue derailed Chicago’s twice-earned lead and became a pivotal turning point in a 91–78 defeat.

⚠️ Early First-Half Slump

Chicago entered the second quarter holding a lead that stretched to 10 points with under two minutes on the clock. Defensive intensity and Reese’s dominance inside had looked promising. But instead of capitalizing, the Sky began what would become a painful swing.

With the Lynx trailing 43–35 after a Carleton bucket, Reese took an inbounds pass and… inexplicably airmailed a backward, underhanded pass. It drifted straight to Lynx guard Courtney Williams. She immediately fed Bridget Carleton, who drained a wide-open 3‑pointer. Suddenly, the momentum had flipped—and Lynn had closed the gap to within five.

Reese could only point in disbelief at the turnover as teammates scrambled to recover.

That sequence sparked a 7–0 run, and after an offensive rebound foul by Reese on the ensuing Lynx possession, Minnesota made another basket. When the horn sounded, the Sky trailed by four, setting a powerful tone for the second half.

❌ The Breakdown: Execution & Impact

That turnover wasn’t just a fluke—it was an egregious lapse in spatial awareness and ball control. The underhanded no-look pass to no one is not standard fare in the WNBA, especially from a player with Reese’s athletic polish. The result: a clean turnover and an easy three. Within minutes, a comfortable lead evaporated.

Chicago never recovered. The Lynx carried that confidence through the entire second half, dismantling the Sky with sharper offense and more cohesive energy. Chicago failed to find a comeback rhythm, allowing Minnesota to take the third and fourth quarters decisively and close out the win.

📊 Reese’s Season-Long Numbers: Stellar but Flawed

Despite that passing blunder, Angel Reese’s season remains historic. She’s emerging as one of the league’s most dominant forces, though her turnovers and recent technical fouls have started to draw concern.

Stat
2024 Season (Rookie)
Current 2025 Season

Rebounds per game
13.1 – WNBA record average Reddit+15SBNation.com+15Swish Appeal+15NBC Sports Bay Area+8AP News+8The Sun+8
12.5 – still league-leading The SunSBNation.com

Total rebounds (2024)
446 – WNBA single-season record SBNation.comWikipediaAP News
–

Double-doubles
26 – second most in WNBA history, with record streaks AP NewsYahoo Thể Thao
16 recorded so far in 2025 The Sun

Turnovers per game
Roughly 3.8 – team-high The SunSwish Appeal
Continues trend; turnover cost evident in Monday game

Reese is still rewriting the rebounding record book. As a rookie, she broke Sylvia Fowles’ 2018 mark of 404 total rebounds with 446 boards in 2024. Her average of 13.1 rebounds per game outdid Fowles’ previous record by more than a full board per game—and remains unmatched Reddit+15Wikipedia+15AP News+15.

Despite a rough outing, Reese posted 22 points and 10 rebounds in the loss—her 16th double-double of the season, matching the volume of productive games we’ve come to expect despite the final result The SunSwish Appeal.

🗣️ What Fans and Critics Are Saying

Across forums and fan threads, opinions about Reese’s game are mixed. On Reddit, user commentary contrasts her efforts with frustrations about turnovers:

“Angel grabbing 15 rebounds in only 7 minutes of play is really something”
“She’s that dawg… You can’t teach that” NBC4 Washington+7Reddit+7Reddit+7

That raw athletic energy, critics note, is tempered by questionable ball decisions—including the pricey Monday turnover.

🌬️ Technical Fouls & Suspension Risk

To add context: Reese recently racked up her seventh technical foul of the season, putting her one away from a WNBA-mandated suspension. That auto-sit rule now kicks in at eight technicals under the new 44-game schedule—a clear point of concern for her and the Sky The Sun+1Talksport+1.

With Chicago already at risk of losing her for a game—costing them both performance and appearance fee—every miscue is magnified.

📉 Sky Struggles Despite Reese’s Brilliance

Chicago’s season trajectory has been underwhelming: the team sits around 7–16, struggling to find consistency beyond Reese’s individual brilliance TalksportSwish Appeal. Though she leads the league in rebounding and not far behind in scoring and assists, the squad lacks depth and cohesion to capitalize on her effort.

A recent loss to Seattle—without Reese and other key starters—saw the worst blowout of the season (38 points), highlighting the Sky’s overreliance on her numbers Swish Appeal.

⚙️ What It All Means for Team & Player Going Forward

✅ Strengths to Build On:

Reese is redefining rookie expectations, having delivered historic rebounding numbers and consistent double-doubles in back-to-back seasons.

She continues to improve her playmaking and offensive efficiency—averaging 3.7 assists and shooting over 44% from the field this year Reddit+15SBNation.com+15CBSSports.com+15Reddit.

❌ Persistent Risks:

Reckless turnovers remain an Achilles’ heel; that no-look pass against the Lynx might be symptomatic of wider decision-making inconsistencies.

Technical foul accumulation threatens her court availability—forcing the Sky into tough financial and competitive decisions.

📌 Outlook:

Angel Reese remains a building-block superstar, with few peers matching her combination of rebounding intensity and uptick in offensive production.

But Chicago must surround her with better playmakers—especially at point guard—to avoid having her carry the entire burden.

Fans and analysts will be watching: can Reese temper her aggression with poise, and can the Sky adapt to harness her peak impact rather than squander it?

🧭 Final Recap: A Tale of Two Halves

Angel Reese was brilliant in effort and rebounding yet made a glaring error with the underhand no‑look pass that triggered a Lynx momentum surge.

That sequence erased Chicago’s lead and shifted the game permanently in Minnesota’s favor.

Despite the loss, Reese’s season numbers remain record-breaking—but team success requires fewer flash turnovers and smarter execution.

With playoff hopes dimming and internal discipline concerns growing, Monday’s gaffe might end up symbolizing both her potential and her current ceiling.