Angel Reese, of the LSU Lady Tigers, celebrates in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament.
Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images
NEW YORK— Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca was still making moves 24 hours before the 2024 WNBA Draft.
The No. 8 pick he traded for during free agency was great, but the Sky’s second target of the night was not going to fall to the No. 8 spot. So, on Sunday morning, the first-year general manager executed a trade with the Minnesota Lynx to secure the No. 7 pick.
With it, the Sky selected Angel Reese.
The move came four picks after the team added another NCAA Tournament star in South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso with the No. 3 selection.
Reese played her final two seasons at LSU after transferring from Maryland. She helped the Tigers win their first NCAA Title in 2023, averaging 23 points and 15.3 rebounds her junior year. She followed it up averaging 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds for the Tigers in 2024.
In LSU’s Elite Eight loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Reese finished with 17 points and 20 rebounds.
Reese has displayed she can have an immediate impact in the WNBA because of her rebounding ability and the way she impacts games with her effort, specifically on the defensive end. Where she will need to develop is on the offensive side of the ball. Her jump shot will need to evolve in order to be effective against WNBA-caliber defenses.