"We can beat anybody" - Angel Reese's $190,000 teammate makes massive statement after Sky's narrow loss against Lynx

Chicago Sky guard Rachel Banham is high on confidence after Angel Reese and Co.’s narrow loss against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday. The Lynx defeated Chicago, 80-75, after a tightly-contested game. Both teams duked it out and were never more than five points apart after the first half of play.

In the end, the Lynx pulled away, handing Chicago its 12th (5-12) loss of the season. They are 12th in the league, being trailed by the Connecticut Sun (2-13) in 13th, by three and a half games. Despite the team’s poor form, Rachel Banham has full faith in its ability to compete with anyone.

"We can beat anybody and we know that," Banham said after Sunday’s game.

Rachel Banham’s confidence likely stems from her solid showing against the Lynx. She finished posted a team-high 20 points on 7-for-13 shooting (6-for-10 from 3-point range) and also had two rebounds and two assists. Angel Reese also had a fantastic game, finishing with 16 points, 17 rebounds and six assists on 7-for-16 shooting.

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Still, Banham's claim is quite far-fetched as the Sky is yet to beat a team outside the bottom four. They have only won against the Connecticut Sun (12th), Dallas Wings (11th) and LA Sparks (10th).

Banham signed a two-year, $190,000 contract with the Connecticut Sun ahead of the 2024 season. However, she didn’t fit in the team's plans and was traded to Chicago halfway through the season.

She was the No. 4 pick in 2016 but has largely failed to live up to her potential, never recording more than 7.9 ppg in her career. It is worth noting, though, that Rachel Banham has been a bench player for most of her career, only starting 26 out of 275 games.

Angel Reese continues to make history amid Chicago Sky's poor form

The Chicago Sky continues to struggle as a unit, but star forward Angel Reese has been brilliant over the last five games. She is averaging 17.4 rebounds, 17.0 points and 5.0 assists, while shooting 44.6%. Chicago has gone 2-3 over this period.

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Angel Reese is now the first player in WNBA history to record five straight games with 15+ rebounds. Here is a closer look at her numbers during this historic streak:

10 points, 19 rebounds and four assists vs. Atlanta Dream (June 22)
18 points 17 rebounds and six assists vs. LA Sparks (June 24)
17 points, 18 rebounds and two assists vs. Golden State Valkyries (June 27)
24 points, 16 rebounds and seven assists vs. LA Sparks (June 29)
16 points, 17 rebounds and six assists vs. Minnesota Lynx (July 6)

Reese and Co. will return to the court on Monday to face the Washington Mystics.

About the author

Sameer is an esports and gaming journalist at Sportskeeda who covers a diverse range of topics. He is currently pursuing a BSc degree from BITS, but his love for video games pushed him to pursue a gaming journalism career. He relies on diligent research and fact-checking to deliver top-notch content. He has previously worked in the hospitality sector with the Oberoi Group.

Sameer’s gaming journey began with Rockstar Games’ GTA franchise, specifically
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City Stories. He strongly prefers multiplayer games, with FPS being his favorite genre, and has devoted 6K+ hours to CS:GO! However, he also dabbles in open-world, story-based games from time to time. Solo RPGs like Horizon Forbidden West hold a soft spot in his heart, and he would readily drop in it given a Jumanji-type scenario.

Sameer makes sure to follow Counter-Strike and Valorant esports tournaments, as he believes that watching a game being played at the highest level can be highly educational. He derives inspiration from Tarik's meteoric rise to become one of the biggest FPS streamers in the world following the release of Valorant.

Outside of work, you can find Sameer playing football or cheering for FC Barcelona. He also likes to read and write poetry.

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Edited by Nadim El Kak