Chicago Sky Couldn't Hide Excitement After Star Returns From Temporary Leave originally appeared on Athlon Sports. After a tough 81-79 loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky had a quick turnaround, facing Paige Bueckers and the Dallas Wings on Wednesday.

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In a 77-77 tie game and 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Sky guard Ariel Atkins was whistled for a loose ball foul, and the Sky challenged the call. While walking back to the bench with teammates during the review, Reese slapped a clipboard out of the hands of Sky staffer Ann Crosby.

It was a hard-fought encounter throughout, with Chicago staying in the game until moments before the final buzzer. After the game, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh could not help but call out the referees for allegedly stealing away an opportunity for Chicago to win it at the very end.

Chicago passed on a top rookie to land veteran guard Atkins. With Citron surging and Atkins settling in, the early returns are a wash.

BOTTOM LINE: Chicago Sky visits the Washington Mystics after Rachel Banham scored 20 points in the Sky's 80-75 loss to the Minnesota Lynx. The Mystics are 5-5 against Eastern Conference opponents. Washington ranks second in the Eastern Conference with 37.1 points per game in the paint led by Shakira Austin averaging 8.3.