Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh

© Matt Marton-Imagn Images

With just over eight minutes to go in the first half of Saturday’s game against the Connecticut Sun, Chicago Sky coach Tyler Marsh was ejected. He had a heated exchange with a referee, and Angel Reese and Michaela Onyenwere had to step in to hold him back.

Marsh was upset over a no-call in the paint as Elizabeth Williams drove for a layup. He went straight at the official and didn’t hold back, resulting in an almost immediate ejection from the game. Tanisha Wright stepped in as the acting head coach for the remainder of the contest.

As Marsh argued with the referee, Reese and Onyenwere were part of the group to hold Marsh back and possibly avoid further punishment. Members of the coaching staff also helped settle him down and guide him toward the locker room at Wintrust Arena.

It’s been a rough go for Chicago this year in Marsh’s first season at the helm. The Sky entered Saturday’s game with a 9-20 overall record, though they picked up by far their biggest win of the season last time out as they took down the New York Liberty.

But even amid the struggles – and the fact the franchise missed out on the playoffs – Marsh said the focus is now turning toward ending the year on a positive note. Chicago has seen Kamilla Cardoso’s game improve throughout the season while Reese is now in her third game back from injury.

“For us, it’s less about what this season has been and more about what we can do to finish on a high note,” Marsh said, via the Chicago Sun-Times’ Alissa Hirsh. “That’s where everyone’s mindset is — to still get to a point where we’re playing good basketball.”

That said, Marsh added he doesn’t want to dwell on missed opportunities this season and the Sky’s struggles as he laid the foundation. His emphasis is on controlling what the team can control, which is his biggest message down the final stretch of the WNBA season.

“It’s revisionist history to see what you could have done differently,” Marsh said. “There’s always things, whether it’s from an execution standpoint or game kind of things, but off-the-court stuff you can never really control.”

Following Saturday’s game, the Sky will have eight games remaining in the season. Next up will be a matchup against the Las Vegas Aces – for whom Tyler Marsh previously worked before taking the Chicago job – on Monday.