WATCH: Angel Reese gets helplessly shut down by Stephanie Soares under the rim

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky remained in Texas for a rematch with the Dallas Wings on Saturday. The Sky lost 87-79 in the season opener on Wednesday despite getting a big lead in the first quarter. They are looking to improve on their performance and hopefully leave with a W.

Chicago’s main problem a few nights ago was Dallas’ inside dominance. Natasha Howard wasn’t going to be around due to a broken foot but the Wings’ frontline remains imposing. They have two 6-foot-7 centers and another 6-foot-6 center/forward in Stephanie Soares. The points in the paint battle were decisively won 60-42 by the hosts in the first game because of their massive frontcourt.

Without Howard, the 2019 WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, the Sky had flipped the inside battle (44-24) in the first three quarters. Early in the game, it didn’t look like that was going to happen based on this action:

The clip showed Angel Reese getting a good position against Stephanie Soares on the right low block. She bumped into the Brazilian going middle before trying to spin her way back but Soares couldn’t be budged and calmly swatted away Reese’s shot. It was the second of four blocks by the former Iowa State standout in the first 30 minutes of the game.

Reese and the Sky were undaunted, though, as they battled from a 42-30 halftime deficit to pull off their first win of the 2024 season.

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Angel Reese continues to have a solid early season with the Sky

Angel Reese had a tough first half in her WNBA debut, finishing with just one point, one rebound and one assist. She bounced back big in the next 20 minutes, piling up 11 points, seven rebounds and one steal in Chicago’s closely-fought loss.

In the rematch against the Dallas Wings, she had another solid outing that some would say was better than her debut. She had an 11-point, nine-rebound, two-assist and one-steal night in the Chicago Sky’s 83-74 victory. What was very impressive about her performance on Saturday was her seven offensive rebounds.

After the Sky was mauled on Wednesday, Reese set the tone on the glass in the rematch. She had to jostle with Dallas’ frontline and snared a handful of offensive boards that helped Chicago win the second-chance points battle 14-4.

There is no rest for the weary, though, Angel Reese and the Sky will have another tough opponent, perhaps the best in the East. They will fly to New York to visit last year’s losing finalists, the New York Liberty. The “Chi Barbie” will be raring to see how she fares against the likes of Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.