NCAA championship- check. WNBA draft- check. Pro-debut- check. What’s next for Angel Reese? Playing while one of, if not the greatest icons in Chicago’s history is watching. On Friday, one of the most talked about rookies in the WNBA played her first pre-season game since the Chicago Sky selected her 7th overall. Her partnership with Kamilla Cardoso is already getting its well-deserved hype. Reese and the current class of WNBA rookies are drawing the attention of NBA greats but she’s got her sights set on one Chicago Bulls legend.
“I want Michael Jordan to come to a game,” Reese said after one of Chicago’s practice sessions. “I’m telling you right now, I want Michael Jordan to come to a game. I’ve never met him. That’s why the first time I want him to come to a game.”
Jordan started his career in Chicago in 1984, won the franchise’s six championships, and put the Windy City on the map. Reese said more athletes like Candace Parker, who won her second of three titles with the Sky too, have come through Chi-Town and she felt privileged to be part of that history. And her goal is to continue the legacy of bringing championships to the city.
Chicago natives were extremely disappointed when Reese and Cardoso’s debut game wasn’t broadcast. But Reese brushed it off as her immediate goal is not airtime but leading the Sky to the championship. That’s a goal that would please the team’s owners.
Angel Reese could bring the championship back to Chicago
Dwyane Wade, another Chicago product, bought a 10% stake in Sky in 2023 with aspirations to be a winning team owner. That confidence has been Sky-high (pun intended) since the team added two NCAA champions, Reese and Cardoso, to the roster. He likened the new additions to the “foundation” of the team.
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In that debut game that didn’t air, the NCAA rivals-turned-Sky’s one-two punch showed jaw-dropping chemistry. Reese effortlessly made a pass to Cardoso in the paint for a smooth layup in the second quarter. However, Cardoso’s debut was cut short when she suffered a fall mid-game and had to make an early exit due to her injured shoulder.
Reese continued for a total of 24 minutes, scoring 13 points, 9 rebounds, 2 steals and 1 block. However, it wasn’t enough to defeat the more experienced Minnesota Lynx. Sky lost 81-92 in its much-hyped rookie duo’s debut. However, Chicago was not disheartened. Along with cheering for its newest stars, Wade too accurately put it that this is “Just the beginning.” Chicago Sky might very well be in its Jordan era with Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso in the paint.
