Angel Reese had “chills” main as much as the Sky’s exhibition sport Friday at LSU, her alma mater, which she hadn’t visited since graduating final spring.
Kamilla Cardoso was delighted, too, to have an opportunity to spend slightly time with — and, in a complete twist, play towards — Brazil’s nationwide workforce, for which she has been a central determine lately.
“I’m completely satisfied for me, completely satisfied for Angel, completely satisfied for [Sky rookie and LSU alum] Hailey [Van Lith], completely satisfied for the Brazil nationwide workforce,” a smiling Cardoso mentioned earlier than the Sky left Chicago. “I’m simply completely satisfied for everyone.”
Who doesn’t like completely satisfied?
However now it’s on to the actual factor, with the primary of two preseason video games — each towards the league-runner-up Lynx — coming Tuesday, which simply so occurs to be Reese’s twenty third birthday.
And if the Sky are going to remain completely satisfied this season, they’re going to need to throw a much better model of themselves at WNBA opponents than the one which went 13-27 final season. Amongst different issues, meaning making the 6-7 Cardoso completely satisfied by enjoying by way of her within the put up extra determinedly. It additionally means protecting All-Star Reese completely satisfied by serving to her develop her offensive sport.
It undoubtedly means spacing the ground with extra three-point pictures, squeezing all they will out of 36-year-old level guard Courtney Vandersloot and dwelling as much as new coach Tyler Marsh’s “commit and compete” mantra — not a novel idea in and of itself however actually a welcome one after the Sky missed the playoffs for the primary time since 2018 and pulled the plug on the Teresa Weatherspoon period virtually earlier than it began.
Most of all, after all, it means successful — and that received’t occur with out the prize duo of the 2024 draft proper on the coronary heart of all of it, working in live performance and making one another higher.
The common season opens Could 17 on the Fever, the following alternative for the WNBA to showcase two of its brightest younger stars in Caitlin Clark and Reese. However the pairing that issues is Cardoso, final 12 months’s No. 3 choose, and Reese, who went No. 7. We already know Reese, who stormed into the league and smashed its single-season rebounding report, was a draft steal. Cardoso wants an enormous season to cement her standing.
“She is aware of how necessary she is to us from a defensive and offensive standpoint,” Marsh mentioned. “I feel her potential is thru the roof, and we’re going to make the most of her as a lot as potential.”
Cardoso was sidelined 4 weeks after hurting a shoulder in final 12 months’s preseason opener and didn’t make the rookie splash some envisioned she would. However even because the Sky pale down the stretch, Cardoso supplied a pleasant style of what she will do throughout a six-game September stretch, averaging 14.5 factors and eight.2 rebounds in 32 minutes. These numbers could be on the flooring of what the Sky are searching for from a participant whose rookie averages had been 9.8 factors and seven.9 boards in 27.4 minutes.
A key to unleashing Cardoso will likely be Reese’s capacity to face the basket and deal with the ball extra usually.
“In every single place,” Marsh mentioned when requested the place he desires Reese to be. “There isn’t any restrict. I feel we would like her to be dynamic. We wish her to have the ability to rating inside, need to have the ability to create area for her to have extra one-on-one finishes inside and never need to really feel like she’s acquired to play in a crowd. We need to put the ball in her arms on the perimeter and permit her to facilitate and create off the dribble as effectively.”
Yeah child, that is what I wanna see extra of from Angel Reese this season! Glorious transition break off of the rebound as she finds Kamilla Cardoso with a wonderful dime for the end 🔥‼️ pic.twitter.com/an7UBPFKuH
— ZekeHoops (@HandsOffAssata) May 3, 2025
Towards Brazil, Reese drove on a defender from the three-point line to the rim, acquired fouled and hit a free throw for the Sky’s first level. Their third bucket got here when Reese rebounded an air ball, raced with the dribble to the opposite finish and handed to Cardoso for a layup.
Nobody will likely be dissatisfied — or stunned — if the born-to-board Reese tops the charts in that class once more. However much more pleasure can be derived from watching her develop a trustier shot from anyplace outdoors the restricted space. There’s nothing straightforward about it, however Reese doesn’t look like searching for straightforward.
“Her power has been nice, and it’s infectious,” Marsh mentioned, “and I feel that’s one thing we would like from her by way of the ups and downs of the season.”
Put it on the checklist of issues that may make Sky followers completely satisfied this season, and who doesn’t like completely satisfied?
Go time is nearly right here. Let the duo do its factor.
