Sky still shorthanded heading into Fever matchup

As the Sky (7-17) prepare to host the Fever (12-12) on Sunday, coach Tyler Marsh wants to see his team rediscover its competitive edge.

The Sky have dropped both games since the All-Star break by more than 20 points. But they won’t be competitive until they get their best players back.

Angel Reese (back) and Ariel Atkins (leg) — who each average around 13.9 points and 30 minutes — did not practice Saturday at the United Center. Atkins will miss her fourth consecutive game. Marsh said Reese was day-to-day but indicated the team likely would play it safe.

“We don’t want to push too much,” Marsh said. “With a back injury, you want to be careful with that.”

It’ll be the Sky’s second annual Barbie game, meant in part to honor Reese’s persona as the Bayou and now the Chi-Town Barbie. Marsh said the game will celebrate her identity and accomplishments.

“It’ll be cool to have that recognition for her whether she suits up or she doesn’t,” he said.

Reese did some individual work but did not participate in contact drills. She’s listed as questionable for the game. So is rookie point guard Hailey Van Lith.

There was one encouraging injury update: Forward Michaela Onyenwere returned to live action in practice. She has missed the last two games with a knee injury and is questionable for the game.

To help patch the rotation, the Sky signed second-year guard Marquesha Davis to a seven-day hardship contract. Davis debuted Thursday and gave the Sky a glimpse of what they’ve been missing — a guard who can create off the dribble.

“Her aggressiveness was good from the start,” Marsh said. “She doesn’t have a lot of experience in the league but has enough to know where she can fit in.”

Her contract expires before the game against the Mystics on Tuesday, but she could be re-signed if Atkins ends up missing more games.

With the team shorthanded, the stretch also presents an opportunity for Kamilla Cardoso to assert herself. She showed flashes of that earlier in the season before leaving for AmeriCup duties but has been quieter since returning. Marsh wants her to be more aggressive in the paint, and she answered that call against the Storm with a double-double — including 13 rebounds, her second-highest total of the year.

The Fever also are navigating injuries. Star point guard Caitlin Clark hasn’t played since before the All-Star break and pulled out of the game itself with a leg issue. The team recently said there’s no timetable for her return.

Still, the Fever remain one of the league’s most dangerous offensive teams, led by All-Stars Kelsey Mitchell and Aliyah Boston. They also added guard Aari McDonald on a rest-of-season deal in June.

“The speed and quickness of their backcourt is something we have to hold steady with,” Marsh said. “We can’t let them get out in transition.”

The sixth-place Fever are 1-2 since the break, splitting with the Aces and falling to the Liberty. The Sky are stuck in 11th place, five games out of the last playoff spot held by the Valkyries.