Getty Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso.
Angel Reese had her introductory press conference for the Chicago Sky on April 24.
The No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft was asked about playing alongside No. 3 overall pick Kamilla Cardoso, whom Reese had a notorious rivalry with during their time playing in the SEC.
Although Reese explained why she’s excited to go from rivals to teammates with Cardoso.
“I’ve been playing Kamilla since high school, so I’ve always known what she can do,” Reese said. “Being able to have a post player that can run the rim as fast as she can, and me being able to go with her and run with her… I mean, if I miss a defensive assignment, she’s gonna be there. If she misses a defensive assignment, I’m gonna be there.
“We’re going to be fighting over rebounds, I know that,” Reese added with a smile. “I love that though… I’m a competitor. I know she’s a competitor too.”
Angel Reese & Kamilla Cardoso’s High School Battle Was Intense
After the Sky selected her in the WNBA draft, Reese noted how she has shared the court with Cardoso since high school.
“My first time playing Kamilla was on one of the biggest stages in my life, when she played for Hamilton Heights (Tennessee) and I played for St. Frances (Maryland) in high school,” Reese said, per WFLA Chicago. “And we battled. “Now, being able to be teammates is going to be amazing.”
The stage Reese mentions was a semifinal match at the 2017 DICK’S Sporting Goods High School Nationals, when both she and Cardoso were freshmen.
Reese led St. Frances with 20 points and 24 rebounds in the game, per USA Today High School Sports, “including nine points in the fourth quarter, none bigger than a putback at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. She also hit two free throws to put St. Frances up 55-54 early in overtime.”
Cardoso was also a major factor in the 2017 game before getting in foul trouble late. Yet, her head coach Keisha Hunt noted that these mistakes are to be expected.
“Kamilla is real important, but she’s also really young and she makes some freshman mistakes,” Hunt said.
Although Cardoso’s fouls didn’t stop her Hamilton Heights team from defeating Reese’s St. Frances squad in overtime, 56-55.
Reese conveyed her disappointment in the defeat postgame.
“We got a lot of support from our city,” Reese said. “I think that we had a chance to show why we were 30-0. We weren’t going to settle for 30-0, we wanted to be 31-0 and 32-0. We always wanted to keep that zero at the end.”
Little did she know back then, Reese would win an NCAA championship six years later.
How Will Reese & Cardoso Fit in With the Chicago Sky?
The Chicago Sky’s current roster explains why they wanted both Reese and Cardoso in the 2024 WNBA draft.
While they have solid guard play with veterans like Marina Mabrey and Diamond DeShields, Chicago was relatively short in the frontcourt.
In fact, Cardoso is at least four inches taller than any of her new teammates.
For this reason alone, both her and Reese will be competing for playing time once the Sky’s season starts on May 15.