In a showdown that felt destined to explode, Angel Reese’s Chicago Sky arrived at Crypto.com Arena on May 25, 2025, carrying the weight of two demoralizing defeats.
By the end of the night, they left with a 91–78 loss to the Los Angeles Sparks—and a social media armageddon directed at rookie forward Reese. The Sky’s season-opening nightmare showed no signs of abating.
Amid a third straight blowout loss, Chicago’s Reese faces an online onslaught as WNBA fans savaged her play and the Sky’s 24.3-point average defeat margin, questioning rookie resilience and the franchise’s rebuild under head coach Tyler Marsh.
Angel Reese Torched by WNBA Fans After Sky’s Third Straight Blowout
Despite Reese’s gritty double-double (13 points on 5-of-11 shooting and 12 boards), Los Angeles seized control behind Kelsey Plum’s 28 points and six threes, plus Azurá Stevens’ 24-point explosion.
A decisive 33-25 third quarter saw turnovers and missed opportunities pile up for Chicago, who couldn’t claw back.
According to Athlon Sports, Coach Tyler Marsh’s squad has now yielded an average defeat margin of 24.3 points across three games, eclipsing any early-season stumble in franchise memory.
The Sky’s losses have been stark. A season-opening 93–58 drubbing at the hands of Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever, which was an embarrassing 35-point gap.
Followed by a 99–74 rout by the New York Liberty, who set a WNBA single-season three-point record with 19 bombs, a 25-point defeat according to ESPN. Add Sunday’s 13-point loss in L.A., and the average deficit sits at a staggering 24.3 points per game.
It was the third loss that pushed fans to the edge. On X, one post listing the WNBA All-Star for razing Sky’s offense to “She’s made her team worse since they drafted her” went viral late Sunday.
She’s made her team worse since they drafted her
— Redacted (@_djhowell) May 26, 2025
Fans on social media piled on, pointing to Reese’s minus-14 plus/minus and six missed shots as proof that the “Bayou Barbie” moniker comes with too many thorns.
One particular tweet highlighted, “imagine being a foot taller and you cant block a layup,” after Sparks’ Plum earned a hoop despite Reese’s failed attempt to block it.
imagine being a foot taller and you cant block a layup 😭😭
— Deluxe (@yourboydeluxe) May 25, 2025
Another fan remarked, “This is what happens when all summer you don’t practice basketball and you do photoshoots and podcast videos,” bringing attention to Reese’s 2025 MET Gala appearance and other lifestyle endorsements.
This is what happens when all summer you don’t practice basketball and you do photoshoots and podcast videos
— Shifty 𓅓⁶ (@UTDShifty) May 26, 2025
Reese Bears Brunt Of Fan Fury For Sky’s Collapse
Yet beneath the jeers lies a rookie navigating high expectations. Reese arrived from LSU as college basketball’s rebounding queen, celebrated for her tenacity and flair.
Through three WNBA games this season, however, she’s led a team that now ranks almost last in defensive rating and is in the bottom five for losing back-to-back games this season.
Still, the social media storm shows no mercy. Tweets and memes mocking Reese’s shot selection collide with hot takes accusing her of pouting after defensive lapses. Fans have noted her minus-14 plus/minus in Sunday’s loss—a stark indicator of on-court struggles amid lineup experimentation.
Now, Chicago’s front office faces mounting questions. Will it stand pat, trusting Marsh’s vision, or tinker with players like Hailey Van Lith and Kamilla Cardoso to spark urgency?
The Sky now turns its sights to its matchup against Phoenix‘s veteran squad. Can Reese and company silence the critics? Or will social media’s scorched-earth commentary define her rookie year? Whatever comes next, the digital inferno ignited after the loss against the Sparks suggests Angel Reese’s baptism by fire is far from over.
