Dave Portnoy repeated his attacks on Angel Reese as the Chicago Sky were soundly defeated 71-90 by the Las Vegas Aces in the WNBA on Tuesday night, the team’s seventh consecutive loss.
Reese scored 12 points on the night for her team, but the 19-point loss leaves her Sky team with work to do in what is an increasingly dangerous situation in the WNBA playoff battle.
Chicago sits in last place with an eighth-place finish, but its 11-22 record on the season ties it with the ninth-place Atlanta Dream. Fortunately for Reese and his team, the Dream also lost Tuesday night to the Phoenix Mercury.
Portnoy, the owner of Barstool Sports, is an avid fan of Caitlin Clark and has regularly criticized Reese amid her rivalry with the Indiana Fever star. And when the Sky were down 31-47 at halftime in Las Vegas, Portnoy didn’t miss the opportunity to celebrate Reese’s struggles.
“Angel gets ready to go in the second half against Vegas,” Portnoy sarcastically wrote. “Down by 20 in the first half. He has 5 points, 1/5 FG (20%), 8 rebounds.
Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky lost their seventh straight WNBA game on Tuesday night
Reese scored 12 points as his team lost 71-90 to the Las Vegas Aces
Dave Portnoy, one of Reese’s biggest critics, couldn’t help but stab him in the back.
“It’s officially angel time. In situations like this, he becomes a demon.”
In addition to scoring 12 points, Reese also finished with 16 rebounds and three assists in 31 minutes in Las Vegas.
Reese has been mentioned all season as Clark’s biggest rival to win the WNBA Rookie of the Year award this season, something Portnoy has repeatedly dismissed.
Portnoy even bet $100,000 that the Indiana Fever would win the WNBA title thanks to Clark’s impact on the team, a bet that would earn Portnoy $10 million if it comes to fruition.
Clark and the Indiana Fever, who have a 17-16 record on the season, will return to action on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Sparks.
And the Sparks are Reese and Sky’s next opponent on Friday night in Los Angeles.
The Sparks have the worst record in the WNBA at 7-25, but with Chicago seemingly in free fall, there won’t be an easy game for Reese and her team to get back on the winning track.
“This league is so good that if you take a loss, you’re not going to be good for the next game,” Reese’s teammate Dana Evans said after the game. Reese did not appear at the postgame news conference.
“We have to be ready to play. We won’t give up, we won’t give in, we want to make the playoffs. We’re going to stick together.”