Getty Angel Reese (right) and Kamilla Cardoso, who debuted for the Chicago Sky on Friday
There was a tough fall and some rough shooting, but for the Chicago Sky, there was finally a glimpse of how the future may shape up as the WNBA franchise seeks to move forward with new, young blood. On Friday in Minnesota, the two prized draft picks for the Sky—No. 3 pick Kamilla Cardoso and No. 7 pick Angel Reese—took the court.
It was their first time as teammates after two years facing off against each other and making headlines in the SEC, where Cardoso starred for South Carolina and Reese for LSU.
They made their debut in the preseason with the Sky on Friday in Minnesota, and while the results were mixed, the pair connected on a nifty scoring play—Reese feeding Cardoso on a cut to the basket—that got some attention, with the team posting a replay on Twitter/X.
The tagline read, “S-E-C! S-E-C! S-E-C!”
Dwyane Wade, an NBA legend and partial owner of the Sky since last year, reposted with a warning to the rest of the league: “Just the beginning!” with a sunglasses emoji following.
Angel Reese Gets Starting Nod in Debut
In the opener, it was Reese who got the starting call for the Sky, and played 24 minutes, totaling 13 points with nine rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot. She struggled with her shooting, going 2-for-7, but went 9-for-10 from the free-throw line.
Cardoso came off the bench, but took a hard fall on her right shoulder in the first half, and sat out the second half. She registered six points on 3-for-5 shooting, including the finish on Reese’s pass. She added four rebounds and two blocks in 13 minutes on the floor.
After the game, Minnesota coach Teresa Witherspoon, who was also making her franchise debut, said that Cardoso was not badly injured and could have returned, but was kept from returning out of an abundance of caution.
“Heart of a lion,” she said, per the Minnesota Post. “Didn’t want to come out, but we had to protect her. She’ll be fine.”
Chicago Sky Rebuilding Under Teresa Witherspoon
Wade figures to be right—this should be just the beginning for a Sky team looking to get back to the top of the league after a tumultuous year that saw the franchise lose coach and general manager James Wade, who had led the team to an 81-59 record in four-and-a-half seasons with Chicago. Wade left last July to sign on as an assistant coach with the Raptors in the NBA.
The Sky responded by plucking Witherspoon from the staff of the New Orleans Pelicans of the NBA.
The Sky, four years removed from their improbable run to a WNBA championship in 2021, are attempting to rebuild their club around the Reese-Cardoso pairing after trading away three-time All-Star Kahleah Copper to Phoenix in the offseason, a move that got them the Cardoso pick. They also traded up to get to No. 7, where they got Reese.
It’s not a big surprise that Angel Reese has hit the starting lineup ahead of Cardoso, who was always considered more of a long-term project, with her size—she is 6-foot-7—being her most tantalizing attribute.
Reese, too, despite her collegiate success, is a bit of a project when it comes to being a pro, but her star power and potential are obvious.