The Chicago Sky worked hard to improve the team around Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso this offseason. They added several impactful veterans, like Courtney Vandersloot, Ariel Atkins, and Kia Nurse. Vandersloot, in particular, will be one of the keys to improving the Sky’s offense due to her ability to run the offense and create good shots for her teammates.
Despite these additions, the focal point of everything the Sky do is still the duo of Reese and Cardoso. Reese already made her first All-Star team last season, and Cardoso shouldn’t be far behind. She displayed some great offensive improvement during the Sky’s preseason.
The Sky have not played a regular season game yet, but their first opponent is already worried about one of the Sky’s big advantages.
When asked what would be going through her head during the Fever’s regular-season opener against the Sky, Stephanie White said, “How are we going to keep those bigs off the boards? That’s what’s going to be going through my mind.”
The Sky are a strong rebounding team
The frontcourt duo of Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso gives the Sky one major advantage on the court: they have plenty of size and are strong on the glass.
In the 2024 season, the Sky led the WNBA in rebounds per game. Reese averaged 13.1 rebounds per game, which was the most in the league. She even beat out established veterans A’ja Wilson and Napheesa Collier on the glass. Cardoso averaged 7.9 rebounds per game and ranked twelfth in the league.
Together, they create a real challenge for opponents and can give the Sky a serious advantage. Regularly getting second chances while preventing opponents from doing the same could make the difference between a win and a loss in certain games.
Angel Reese could lead the league in rebounding for a second straight season
Angel Reese wasted no time establishing herself as one of the best rebounders in the WNBA. Leading the league in rebounding is always impressive, but it is an even bigger deal when a rookie does it.
With a first season of WNBA experience under her belt, fans should expect Reese to look even better in her second season. She spent the offseason in Miami, playing in Unrivaled, and went up against some of the other top players in the league. She also spent some time working with WNBA legend Lisa Leslie. So, Reese should enter the new WNBA season in great shape and ready to build on last year’s success.
That could quickly lead to another great rebounding season for Reese, and no one should be surprised to see her lead the league in that category for a second consecutive season.