Chicago Sky

Few people would know what it is like to arrive in Chicago as a highly anticipated rookie with plenty of expectations on their shoulders better than Angel Reese, and she is ready to help her former teammate navigate the same situation in 2025.

"I know a lot of pressure is probably on here from the outside," Reese said Monday of new Chicago Sky teammate Hailey Van Lith, per Steve Greenberg of the Chicago Sun-Times. "I know how it is just being the big name coming to town expected to do big things. … Just being that 'big sister' I guess kind of to her this year is super important for her."

Reese was the No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA draft and was an All-Star who led the league with 13.1 rebounds per game during her first season.

While she struggled at times offensively with a 39.1 shooting percentage, she was a walking double-double who finished second only to Caitlin Clark in Rookie of the Year voting. Her presence is one reason there is optimism for the future in the Windy City, and she will be joined by another high-profile playmaker during the upcoming season.

Chicago selected Van Lith with the No. 11 overall pick of the 2025 WNBA draft after a collegiate career that included stops with Louisville, LSU and TCU.

Van Lith was a guard on the 2023-24 LSU team that reached the Elite Eight with Reese leading the way. They will be back together again at the professional level, which had the forward fired up on draft day:

As for Van Lith, she told reporters when speaking about Reese, "Mostly, I'm just excited to get to be around her again. I think we have a lot of similarities on how we carry ourselves and our mindset on what's important to us.

"And she's a dog, man. She turns up the intensity of everybody around her, so I'm excited to be in that environment again where she can pull more out of me than I think I have."

The pair will immediately be thrown into the spotlight, as the Sky open their 2025 campaign on the road against Clark and the Indiana Fever on May 17.

Hailey Van Lith is teaming up with her former teammate.

The Chicago Sky drafted the TCU star No. 11 in the WNBA Draft on Monday, meaning she'll join forces with Angel Reese, whom she spent a season playing alongside at LSU during the 2023-24 season.

After being selected by Chicago, Van Lith had high praise for Reese and expressed her excitement about being teammates once again:

"Angel has maintained contact with me this whole past year since she's been in the league and I transferred. I really appreciate her. We have a very mature relationship, a very mutual respect relationship, where we both have respect for each other's game and also the character and the person we are off the court. Mostly, I'm just excited to get to be around her again. I think we have a lot of similarities about how we carry ourselves and our mindset on what's important to us. And, you know, she's a dog, she turns up the intensity of everybody around her. I'm excited to be in that environment with her again, where she can pull more out of me than I think I have."

In their sole season together, Van Lith and Reese led the Tigers to a 31-5 record and an Elite Eight appearance. While it was a good year, the two left some to be desired, and they'll look for more success at the professional level.

The Sky are coming off a disappointing 13-27 season, but the future is looking bright with a young core in Chicago.

Angel Reese was ejected in the second quarter of her Unrivaled matchup on Saturday night, becoming the first player to receive an ejection in the league's inaugural season.

With Reese's Rose BC leading the Laces by eight points just before halftime, she was called for a foul on Tiffany Hayes. She then picked up two technical fouls in quick succession, resulting in her exit from the contest.

Reese finished the game with six points, 15 rebounds and three assists while shooting 2-7 from the field.

Despite Rose BC's 1-4 record entering Saturday's contest, the Chicago Sky forward has put together several impressive Unrivaled performances as she prepares for her second season in the WNBA.

Reese has averaged 10.3 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in just 10.8 minutes per game.

The LSU product is coming off a strong rookie season with the Sky, earning an All-Star nod. While she struggled with shooting inconsistency at times through the year, she still recorded 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game.

Reese was ejected just once during her rookie season in Chicago, totaling four technical fouls in 34 games played.

Her lone ejection occurred in a similar scenario compared to Saturday night, as she picked up a pair of quick technical fouls after arguing a call with an official in a loss to the New York Liberty during the 2024 season.

Reese has continued to showcase her rebounding skills as well as an improved offensive arsenal at the start of the 2025 Unrivaled season, but she didn't finish Rose BC's clash with the Laces.

Her next opportunity to suit up will occur against Mist BC on Friday.

Angel Reese is set to return to LSU for a preseason contest with the Chicago Sky before the start of her sophomore campaign in the WNBA.

According to ESPN's Kendra Andrews, Reese and the Sky will face off against the Brazilian National Team at her alma mater on May 2.

"It will be amazing to return to Baton Rouge, a community that means so much to me," Reese said in a statement, via Andrews. "LSU was instrumental in preparing me for the WNBA and I can't wait to hit the court in front of both Tigers and Sky fans."

The 22-year-old started her college career at Maryland before transferring to LSU before the start of the 2022-23 season, kicking off an incredible two-year run with the Tigers.

Reese averaged 20.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.9 steals per game while shooting 50.1 percent from the field in two seasons at LSU. She helped the Tigers win a national championship in 2023 and earned Most Outstanding Player honors during the tournament.

While LSU couldn't make it back to the title game the ensuing year, Reese still improved individually and took home the 2023-24 SEC Player of the Year award.

Her impressive tenure with the Tigers led to the Sky selecting her with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft. Reese averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game during her first year in Chicago, securing an All-Star spot.

Now, she'll be returning to the Pete Maravich Assembly Center for a clash with the Brazilian National Team as she ramps up ahead of her second year in the WNBA.

Angel Reese surprised her mom by paying off her mortgage for her birthday.

The Chicago Sky forward revealed the news to her mother on her show, Unapologetically Angel.

"Your mortgage is paid and you don't have to work anymore," Reese said.

The 22-year-old called it a "dream come true" on social media.

Reese is preparing to enter her second season in the WNBA after making an instant impact as a rookie. In 34 starts with the Sky during the 2024 season, she averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds to go along with 1.3 steals per game.

The former LSU standout was named an All-Star and finished No. 2 in Rookie of the Year voting.

Reese has currently been playing in the Unrivaled basketball league during the WNBA offseason, performing admirably for Rose Basketball Club. In four Unrivaled contests, she's averaging 10.8 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 11.8 minutes per game.

As Reese prepares for her sophomore WNBA season, she presented her mom with a generous birthday surprise on Thursday.

After her 2024 championship run with the New York Liberty, Courtney Vandersloot is returning to her former team.

Per the Chicago Sun-Times' Annie Costabile, Vandersloot is expected to sign with the Chicago Sky in free agency following a two-year stint with the New York Liberty. Vandersloot spent the first 12 seasons of her career in Chicago.

Vandersloot went to Chicago with the No. 3 pick in the 2011 draft out of Gonzaga. She was an All-Star as a rookie and earned All-Rookie Team honors after putting up 6.5 points and 3.7 assists per game.

Vandersloot was pivotal in the Sky's WNBA Finals appearance in 2014, averaging 6.8 points and leading the league in assists with 5.7 per game. Vandersloot's best season of her career came in 2020 when she put up 13.6 points and 10 assists per game, once again leading the league in assists.

While Vandersloot and Chicago came up short in the Finals in 2014, the Sky went on to win a championship seven years later in 2021 when Candace Parker joined her hometown squad.

The Sky's roster will look much different than it did the last time Vandersloot was in town. Rather than having a legend like Parker in the paint, she'll team up with a rising star in Angel Reese.

Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA draft, is coming off a season in which she put up 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, rivaling Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark for Rookie of the Year. Reese's season was cut short due to an injury, but she'll look to bounce back strong in Year 2.

Chicago will also have a new coach in 2025 after the team fired Teresa Weatherspoon following her one season at the helm. Tyler Marsh, a former assistant for the Las Vegas Aces, will take over this season and look to guide the Sky back to the playoffs.

Having a veteran like Vandersloot, the franchise's all-time assists leader, should help Chicago achieve plenty of success.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese's interest in fashion hasn't ended after attending the 2024 Met Gala or the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show.

Reese was announced on Wednesday as a cover star for Vogue Magazine's Winter 2025 issue.

As part of the feature, Reese was interviewed by Vogue's Maya Singer about her thoughts on the intersection between sports and fashion.

"It's always been both: basketball and fashion," Reese told Singer about her love for both.

Singer wrote that Reese said that walking in a fashion show like Paris Fashion Week is "still on her to-do list."

Reese will begin her second season with the Sky in May. Her team is looking for a bounce-back season after missing the playoffs last fall amid Reese's season-ending wrist injury.

Before the WNBA season resumes, however, Reese will return to the court for 3-on-3 basketball as part of Unrivaled's inaugural season with Rose BC. The first Unrivaled season tips off on Jan. 17.

The Chicago Sky took a unique approach to announcing the schedule for the team's 2025 season.

In a video posted to X on Monday, the Sky used the "suspect" meme to take some playful shots at their upcoming opponents while unveiling their full regular-season schedule.

Chicago is attempting to build upon a 13-27 record in 2024, with All-Star forward Angel Reese looking to improve even further following an impressive rookie campaign.

In 34 starts, Reese averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds to go along with 1.3 steals per game while shooting 39.1 percent from the field and 73.6 percent on free throws. Even though her efficiency fluctuated throughout the year, she remained a consistent force on the glass and held her own defensively.

Reese briefly set a new WNBA single-season rebounding record before she was eventually passed by Las Vegas Aces superstar A'ja Wilson. The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft wasn't able to close out her rookie campaign, as her season came to an early end due to a wrist injury.

Chicago is expected to improve in 2025 with Reese and Kamilla Cardoso returning for their sophomore seasons. Chennedy Carter, the leading scorer for the Sky last season, could also re-sign with the organization in restricted free agency.

As Chicago focuses on building its young core, the team will look to add another player with the No. 3 overall pick in the 2025 draft.

While UConn standout Paige Bueckers will likely be off the board by the time the Sky are on the clock, they still have an opportunity to add an instant contributor alongside Reese and Cardoso.

Chicago Bulls guard Lonzo Ball is a man of his word.

During the newest episode of her Unapologetically Angel podcast, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese confirmed that Ball helped her pay the fine she received after getting ejected from a game in June. He actually went above and beyond, giving her $2,000 when she was only out $200.

Reese was dismissed in the fourth quarter of Chicago's 88-75 loss to the New York Liberty on June 4. She received two quick technical fouls for signaling her dissatisfaction with the officiating.

Ball posted on X that he was prepared to foot the bill for any fine Reese received from the WNBA:

He called it a "terrible" technical in Wednesday's episode and said he was at the game in person, which was the first WNBA game he had attended.

The WNBA rescinded the second technical issued to Reese. ESPN's Michael Voepel noted that meant she was fined $200 instead of the original $400. The league has a sliding scale for the cost of individual techs.

Thankfully for Reese, her early exit didn't prevent her from eventually making history. She had 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Liberty, which was the first of her WNBA-record 15 straight double-doubles.

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese hit back at one fan who criticized her inefficient scoring as a rookie.

The 2024 All-Star responded on X that "that was the worst you'll ever see me."

There's no getting around the numbers.

Reese made just 39.1 percent of her attempts despite operating primarily around the basket. According to WNBA.com, she shot 47.0 percent inside the restricted area and just 17.1 percent in the paint outside of the semi-circle. She was also 14-of-46 from the mid-range.

This was one of the 6'3" forward's biggest concerns ahead of her step up to the pros. She didn't display a lot of range across her four years at Maryland and LSU, and bigs who can't space the floor are becoming less and less of an asset in the WNBA.

But Reese also showed in 2024 why she could have a long, productive career ahead. Her 13.1 rebounds per game were the most in the league and she swatted away 0.5 shots per contest. At one point, she had 15 straight double-doubles to set a WNBA record.

Reese was one of three Sky players to have a positive net rating (0.8) in 2024, per WNBA.com. Chicago's net rating fell to minus-21.0 when she was on the bench.

When projecting ahead, there are valid questions to ask about Reese's value. Being an elite rebounder doesn't mean what it once did. What's her best role on a contending team? Will the shooting ever come along?

But Reese clearly isn't the finished product yet, and what she delivered in her first year offered a lot of reasons for excitement.