CHICAGO – Angel Reese’s rookie season exceeded almost all expectations.
The Chicago Sky star set records before her season was cut short by injury and helped the league reach new heights in popularity, after she and Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever brought their rivalry from the college ranks to the pros.
However, there was something Reese didn’t achieve: winning. Not in the way she’s used to.
I wasn’t used to that. It just takes an adjustment. It’s something you don’t want to get used to because you don’t want to get into a mindset like ‘Oh, we’re going to lose every night.’ We were there every night.
Angel Reese
The Sky finished 10th in the WNBA with a 13-27 record last season and failed to make the playoffs for the first time since 2018. Despite significant contributions from Reese and fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso, the results were disappointing. The two young stars return, and the team made significant changes to the roster to provide them with help.
Chicago fired former coach Teresa Weatherspoon after one year and hired Las Vegas assistant Tyler Marsh to replace the Naismith Hall of Fame member.
The Sky also incorporated veteran leadership, including franchise assist leader Courtney Vandersloot, and two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins. Chicago hopes these additions will help Reese and Cardoso take their games to another level.
She wants to compete, she wants to win, she is someone who puts that above all else. With all the time she dedicates to building her brand and traveling the world, she has shown us time and again that she puts basketball first. Only a competitive player is going to have all these things in her life that are so special, but still wants to be the best player she can be.
Jeff Pagliocca, General Manager
Reese and Clark helped change the landscape of the WNBA, attracting sold-out crowds and record audiences while also fueling debates about sports and society. The LSU and Iowa rivals displayed a style and swagger that captivated the nation when they faced off in college.
Finishing second to Clark in Rookie of the Year voting, Reese averaged 13.6 points and a league-leading 13.1 rebounds per game. She set a WNBA record with double-doubles in 15 straight games and finished with 26 on the season, the most by a rookie.
Reese briefly held the total rebounds mark with 446, only to miss the final six games due to a wrist injury. While she was out, the league MVP, A’ja Wilson, finished with 451 rebounds.
But as the records accumulated, so did the defeats.
In two seasons at Maryland and two more at LSU, Reese’s teams lost a total of 20 games and never lost more than two in a row. She won an NCAA championship with the Tigers in 2023, defeating Clark and Iowa in the final.
Meanwhile, the Sky lost 12 of their last 14 games last season. They lost seven straight before beating the Los Angeles Sparks on September 6, only for Reese to suffer a stress fracture in her left wrist that required surgery. With their star out, they won their next game and lost the final five.
Obviously, that left a bad taste in my mouth.
Angel Reese
Reese had a busy offseason, playing in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 league and trying to expand her range and become the type of shooting power forward the Sky envision her becoming. She shot 39.1% last season and made just 3 of 16 three-pointers.
We want it to be dynamic. We want him to be able to score inside. We want to be able to create space for him to have more one-on-one finishes inside and not have to feel like he has to play in the crowd. We want to put the ball in his hands on the perimeter and allow him to facilitate and create off the dribble as well.
Tyler Marsh
Reese said the problem was more her hesitation to take shots than her ability to make shots from the perimeter.
I always tell myself that if I practice and make the shots, I can also take them in the game.
Angel Reese
Reese got a taste of the championship atmosphere when she sat courtside during the WNBA Finals between the New York Liberty and the Minnesota Lynx. She showed up to Game 5 in what appeared to be a custom, split-half outfit with a Liberty jersey on the left side and a Lynx jersey on the right.
He also excelled in Unrivaled. His team, Rose BC, won the championship, although he missed the playoffs after injuring his operated wrist.
Reese likes the Sky’s composition and believes it will be difficult to beat Chicago.
I think we have the right pieces this year. We have great veteran leadership. We have coaches who just built a culture from the ground up and built the standards, so I’m excited.
Angel Reese
