The Chicago Sky didn’t make the playoffs last year, but they sure made it interesting. They were competitive, scrapping and hustling like their season depended on every possession. Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso were right in the thick of it, owning the paint, pulling down boards, and making life tough for their opponents. But that firepower didn’t come from everywhere. The perimeter? It stayed more like a quiet neighbor. And now, with their leading scorer out of the picture, the offense feels noticeably thinner. That reality hit fast and hit hard in their season opener itself against Caitlin Clark and Co. Talk about trial by fire. 

Well, Clark went off. She dropped 20 points, grabbed 10 boards, dished out 10 assists, and swatted four shots, marking a career high in blocks. Meanwhile, Reese did what she does best, leading Chicago with 12 points and 17 rebounds in a solid double-double effort. But even with her dominance down low, the Sky just couldn’t get it going. The offense felt flat. It lacked rhythm. 

And Coach Tyler Marsh wasn’t exactly thrilled and understandably so. “It’s hard to come back from when you put yourself in a hole with turnovers and we missed some easy ones early on and they capitalized on those tonight,” he said. After all, the Sky committed 17 turnovers and their rivals turned those into 25 easy points. That’s a whole quarter’s worth of damage done just by mistakes. Chicago couldn’t buy a bucket either, shooting a rough 29.1% from the field and a cold 6-for-27 from deep. Outside of Reese and Ariel Atkins, who each made it into double digits, the rest of the team ghosted on offense.

But here’s the thing. Marsh did call them out, but he isn’t panicking. He made it clear that this one game doesn’t define their season. In fact, he’s already looking ahead. At the center of his vision is Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. “Her [Angel Reese] and Kamilla—getting them comfortable with being on different areas of the floor. I think that’s a huge priority for us and has been,” Marsh said postgame.

It’s clear he’s building something deliberate.

Considering that the two budding stars didn’t just sit around in the offseason either, it should be an added advantage for him. Reese was killing it in Unrivaled, winning Defensive Player of the Year and leading the Rose Basketball Club to the inaugural title. Meanwhile, Cardoso took her game overseas, putting up 20.2 points, 11 boards, and nearly two blocks per game for the Shanghai Swordfish.

Going into the 2025 season, Marsh is not just rolling the ball out and hoping for the best. He’s reworking the system. Angel’s not being pigeonholed into just being a paint beast anymore. She’s being stretched out into a stretch-four type role. More off-ball movement, more initiating plays, more spacing. Meanwhile, Cardoso is locking down the five, serving as the defensive anchor and rim protector.

It’s a smart move involving clear roles and defined spaces. Reese has the freedom to float and create, and Cardoso gets to own the paint. While it didn’t quite click in this game, once it does, it’s a setup that has the potential to become dangerous.

And Reese is so ready for it. 

Angel Reese will play point guard if that’s what the team needs

The game might’ve gotten out of hand, but let’s not overlook what Reese brought to the table. From the jump, she showed off the new layers of her game. First bucket was a sweet crossover at the wing, sizing up Natasha Howard and taking her to the rack for a tough finish through contact. 

Beyond that, she was bringing the ball up the court, setting things up, spacing the floor. Not your average forward stuff. But you know, Reese actually used to be a guard. Back in high school, before she shot up to 6’3”, she was breaking ankles on the perimeter. Then came that leg injury during her freshman year at Maryland. Surgery, a steel rod, a whole mobility change – that’s what moved her into the forward role. 

But those guard skills are still in her bag. And when asked about taking on a new position, she didn’t hesitate. Reese was all heart. “When I went in to college, I had to transition to being a post player. I’ve always been a player for the team,” she said, via Chicago State of Mind Sports. “Every team I’ve been a part of, I’ve been a player for the team. When I went to Maryland, I was a player for the team and did what I needed to do. When I went to LSU, I was a player that did what the team needed and got to a championship, as people can see.”

Then, Coach Marsh asked her to step up even more. “Coming here, obviously [Courtney Vandersloot] was out last game, coach emphasized, ‘I need you to play point guard sometimes.’ I’m willing to go whatever it is for the team,” Reese said.  That right there is what makes Reese a franchise player. Not the numbers. Not the highlights. It’s the mindset. She’s all in. She’ll play the 1, the 3, the 5 – whatever it takes to win.

Now, with Marsh shaping this team around her and Cardoso, the Sky may have taken a loss to open the season, but their ceiling is still sky high.