Angel Reese had “chills” leading up to the Sky’s exhibition game Friday at LSU, her alma mater, which she hadn’t visited since graduating last spring.
Kamilla Cardoso was delighted, too, to have a chance to spend a little time with — and, in a total twist, play against — Brazil’s national team, for which she has been a central figure in recent years.
“I’m happy for me, happy for Angel, happy for [Sky rookie and LSU alum] Hailey [Van Lith], happy for the Brazil national team,” a smiling Cardoso said before the Sky left Chicago. “I’m just happy for everybody.”
Who doesn’t like happy?
But now it’s on to the real thing, with the first of two preseason games — both against the league-runner-up Lynx — coming Tuesday, which just so happens to be Reese’s 23rd birthday.
And if the Sky are going to stay happy this season, they’re going to have to throw a far better version of themselves at WNBA opponents than the one that went 13-27 last season. Among other things, that means making the 6-7 Cardoso happy by playing through her in the post more determinedly. It also means keeping All-Star Reese happy by helping her expand her offensive game.
It definitely means spacing the floor with more three-point shots, squeezing all they can out of 36-year-old point guard Courtney Vandersloot and living up to new coach Tyler Marsh’s “commit and compete” mantra — not a novel concept in and of itself but certainly a welcome one after the Sky missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018 and pulled the plug on the Teresa Weatherspoon era almost before it started.
Most of all, of course, it means winning — and that won’t happen without the prize duo of the 2024 draft right at the heart of it all, working in concert and making each other better.
The regular season opens May 17 at the Fever, the next opportunity for the WNBA to showcase two of its brightest young stars in Caitlin Clark and Reese. But the pairing that matters is Cardoso, last year’s No. 3 pick, and Reese, who went No. 7. We already know Reese, who stormed into the league and smashed its single-season rebounding record, was a draft steal. Cardoso needs a big season to cement her status.
“She knows how important she is to us from a defensive and offensive standpoint,” Marsh said. “I think her potential is through the roof, and we’re going to utilize her as much as possible.”
Cardoso was sidelined four weeks after hurting a shoulder in last year’s preseason opener and didn’t make the rookie splash some envisioned she would. But even as the Sky faded down the stretch, Cardoso provided a nice taste of what she can do during a six-game September stretch, averaging 14.5 points and 8.2 rebounds in 32 minutes. Those numbers might be at the floor of what the Sky are looking for from a player whose rookie averages were 9.8 points and 7.9 boards in 27.4 minutes.
A key to unleashing Cardoso will be Reese’s ability to face the basket and handle the ball more often.
“Everywhere,” Marsh said when asked where he wants Reese to be. “There is no limit. I think we want her to be dynamic. We want her to be able to score inside, want to be able to create space for her to have more one-on-one finishes inside and not have to feel like she’s got to play in a crowd. We want to put the ball in her hands on the perimeter and allow her to facilitate and create off the dribble as well.”
Yeah baby, this is what I wanna see more of from Angel Reese this season! Excellent transition break off of the rebound as she finds Kamilla Cardoso with a beautiful dime for the finish 🔥‼️ pic.twitter.com/an7UBPFKuH
— ZekeHoops (@HandsOffAssata) May 3, 2025
Against Brazil, Reese drove on a defender from the three-point line to the rim, got fouled and hit a free throw for the Sky’s first point. Their third bucket came when Reese rebounded an air ball, raced with the dribble to the other end and passed to Cardoso for a layup.
No one will be disappointed — or surprised — if the born-to-board Reese tops the charts in that category again. But even more excitement would be derived from watching her develop a trustier shot from anywhere outside the restricted area. There’s nothing easy about it, but Reese doesn’t appear to be looking for easy.
“Her energy has been great, and it’s infectious,” Marsh said, “and I think that’s something we want from her through the ups and downs of the season.”
Put it on the list of things that would make Sky fans happy this season, and who doesn’t like happy?
Go time is just about here. Let the duo do its thing.