ANGEL REESE may be a COACH KILLER! Candace Parker’s Statement on Tyler Marsh sends CLEAR MESSAGE!
The Chicago Sky’s season has rapidly spiraled into chaos, and at the heart of the turmoil is the polarizing figure of Angel Reese. Once celebrated as one of the most promising young stars in the WNBA, Reese now finds herself at the center of a storm that threatens not only her own legacy but also the job security of her head coach, Tyler Marsh. The recent comments by WNBA legend Candace Parker have only added fuel to the fire, sending a clear message about where the real problem might lie.
The term “coach killer” is one of the most damning labels an athlete can receive in professional sports. It refers to a player who, despite being propped up by the media or a cult-like fan base, consistently fails to elevate their team’s performance. Instead, coaches are hired and fired in rapid succession, with the franchise refusing to acknowledge that the common denominator in their ongoing struggles is the player themselves. In recent weeks, the conversation around Angel Reese has started to shift in this dangerous direction.
The Chicago Sky’s recent blowout loss to the Indiana Fever exposed deep fissures within the team. With veteran leader Courtney Vandersloot sidelined due to injury, the Sky looked deflated and directionless. It was painfully obvious that Reese, despite her hype, was not the player her teammates looked to in moments of crisis. The team’s energy evaporated, and what followed was not just a loss, but a complete collapse. The whispers began: was Angel Reese really the star she was marketed to be, or was she simply a product of overzealous promotion?
Statistically, the numbers paint a troubling picture. Reese is shooting just 30.9% from the field, averaging 12 rebounds and 9.1 points per game. While the rebounding numbers seem solid at first glance, a closer look reveals that many of those rebounds come from her own missed shots. Her offensive game has been underwhelming, and her defensive impact minimal. Even more concerning is her tendency to get blocked at an alarming rate, especially for someone of her size and supposed skill set. In the WNBA, where physicality is the norm, Reese has struggled to adapt, often bringing the ball down after a rebound and getting swatted by elite defenders like Jonquel Jones and Brittney Griner.
Amidst this turmoil, head coach Tyler Marsh has become a lightning rod for criticism—especially from Reese’s devoted fans. Social media is ablaze with calls for his firing, blaming him for the team’s lack of cohesion and Reese’s stagnant development. But is Marsh truly at fault, or is he simply the latest in a line of scapegoats for a player who has not lived up to her billing?
Enter Candace Parker, one of the most respected voices in women’s basketball. On a recent podcast appearance, Parker addressed the situation with a level of candor that cut through the noise. She unequivocally stated that Tyler Marsh is one of the best coaches she has ever worked with, praising his knowledge, skill development, and track record—particularly his role in transforming Jackie Young’s shot in Las Vegas. According to Parker, Reese is in an ideal situation for growth, and if Marsh cannot help her elevate her game, perhaps no coach can.
This statement is as much an endorsement of Marsh as it is a challenge to Reese. Parker’s words implicitly suggest that the problem may not be with the coaching, but with the player’s ability—or willingness—to evolve. In other words, if Angel Reese cannot thrive under Tyler Marsh, the issue is likely intrinsic, not systemic.
Parker also drew a stark contrast between Reese and other young stars like Caitlin Clark and Aaliyah Boston. Clark, even in her rookie season, has already established herself as the league’s premier distributor, making her teammates better and demonstrating a level of basketball IQ and vision that sets her apart. Boston, too, has shown marked improvement, especially in her chemistry with Clark. In comparison, Reese’s progress has stalled, and her inability to impact the game beyond rebounding is becoming increasingly apparent.
The “coach killer” narrative is not just about performance on the court—it’s about accountability. If a franchise continues to cycle through coaches without addressing the underlying issue, it risks wasting years of potential and alienating both players and fans. For the Chicago Sky, the writing may already be on the wall. Unless Reese can make significant strides in her development, the team may go through several more coaches before finally acknowledging that the problem is not on the bench, but on the floor.
Candace Parker’s message is clear: Tyler Marsh is not the problem. The pressure is now squarely on Angel Reese to prove that she can be more than just a social media sensation. If she cannot rise to the occasion, she risks cementing her legacy as a coach killer—a player whose promise never translated into real, lasting success, and who left a trail of fired coaches in her wake. The ball is in Reese’s court, and the clock is ticking.
