Was it the right move?
Chicago Sky Coach Speaks Out on Crucial Decision in Loss Against Lynx originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh mixed it up on Sunday in an attempt to secure an upset win against the league-best Minnesota Lynx.
This resulted in Chicago nearly securing one of its biggest wins of the season in a road game against the best team in the WNBA right now. It just wasn't to be, though, as the Lynx escaped with a hard-fought 80-75 victory at Target Center.
Marsh's big lineup change nearly resulted in a win for the Sky. The first-year coach handed Michaela Onyenwere her first start of the season, sending veteran forward-guard Rebecca Allen to the bench.
Onyenwere answered the call with one of her best games of the season, registering 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting, to go along with eight rebounds, an assist and one triple.
After the game, Marsh was asked to shed light on his decision to change his starting five for the Lynx game, which led to him heaping praise on Onyenwere.
"Yeah, we wanted to make an adjustment from a defensive standpoint," he told reporters. "We felt like we had a good game plan going into it, executed it for most of the game.
"I thought [Onyenwere] gave us good minutes. Our starting five gave us good minutes, and those that came off the bench did as well.
"So again, I thought it was an overall good team effort. We just came up a little bit short tonight."
It remains to be seen if Onyenwere's shift to the starting lineup will be a permanent move, but based on how she performed in her first start, coupled with Marsh's postgame comments, it would not be a surprise if the 6-foot forward gets the start again come Tuesday against the Washington Mystics.
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jul 7, 2025, where it first appeared.
Category: Basketball
