“I think that rivalry is actually done,” Rachel DeMita pronounced even before the 2025 season took off. Neither do Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark play the same position, nor have they guarded each other, she argued. But as much as DeMita may rally behind it, with the two icons virtually in support, you know the media-based narrative is hardly fading. Well, WNBA, for one, made that abundantly clear when they announced the rivals week and pasted Fever vs Chicago bright and bold in the front. But funnily enough, neither are the two teams on the same line. 

Both the Indiana Fever and the Chicago Sky ensured an overhaul this offseason– adding enough support around their star players. Stephanie White maximized on the offensive power, adding just the blend of defense and experience, while Tyler Marsh looked for a young core with just enough offensive support. The coaches took Clark and Reese out of their comfort zones, too– the 2024 ROTY was challenged to adapt to unpredictable finishes, off-ball movements, while the Chi-Town Barbie focused on getting those baskets.

But you see, despite all the growth and progress they have undergone, their predicted runs for the 2025 season differ by a noticeable margin. And maybe that’s another exciting look. Senior WNBA journalist Myles Ehrlich puts it down best. 

“They (Chicago Sky) might be fighting for the back end of the playoffs rather than what Indiana’s doing, where they’re fighting for. I think, they’re going to have something to prove, and they might be pushing for one of those top two seeds because… they want to just showcase how much talent they’ve got there. But I still think both of these teams, for very different reasons, are really, really exciting,” e said on the WNBA Season Preview episode of the In Case You Missed It. 

Looking at how the Fever have turned up for the preseason and their various statements demonstrating that will to win, Ehrlich is spot on. Clark had just two words for her expectations for this season: “A championship.” Even the newcomer to the Indiana dressing room, Sophie Cunningham, is dreaming about that trophy, and DeWanna Bonner, of course, wouldn’t exit without another ring. With all this talk before the season even starts, the Fever have expectations on their shoulders and have to prove their words right with performance.

The Sky are in a different place in their journey. With a first-year head coach in Tyler Marsh, he had some work to do in the preseason, as the Chicago offense was one of the worst last year. They finished 10th in offensive rating in 2024 and their preseason showed some signs of improvement with more attempts from beyond the arc and a better 3-point percentage but they still have work to do.

The Courtney Vandersloot and Angel Reese connection is something to look forward to but it’s doubtful whether that will be enough. The talent of Kamilla Cardoso and Hailey Van Lith, the No. 11 pick and the perimeter coverage by Ariel Atkins, might have pushed them further along, but will that be enough? It seems Chicago is more of a work in progress, while the Fever are ready to challenge the behemoths of the league, as the Sky stood 8th in the power rankings by the WNBA while Fever were 5th.

Despite experts and fans pointing out this difference and managing their expectations for Sky for this season, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca has come out and made some bold claims regarding their goals for the upcoming season.

Chicago Sky going big in 2025

The 2024 season Sky team was uninspiring and was working with stale ideas by the time the season ended with them crashing out without anything to show for it. The management has made some swift moves in the off-season, replacing Teresa Weatherspoon with Marsh, who comes from a winning pedigree at the Aces. The popular opinion right now is that Sky might challenge for that title next year or even a year after that.

At the Sky media day, Pagliocca was asked about the realistic expectations for the 2025 season, to which he boldly answered,“We’re always in win-now mode. The goal is to make the playoffs in an extremely competitive league. We feel pretty confident.”

It seems there is no such concept of transition in the mind of Pagliocca and he wants instant results. By bringing in the experience of Courtney Vandersloot, Kia Nurse and Ariel Atkins, they have the potential to linger among the top. Atkins will partly solve their shooting debacle from last season, while Vandersloot gives an experienced point guard for Reese to play with. We all saw how she dominated the Unrivaled with someone who knows her stuff at point, like Chelsea Gray.

Reese is licking her wounds from a disappointing 2024 season as she said, “It left a bad taste in my mouth to not make the playoffs last season. I love winning and want to win.”

A fired-up Angel Reese, combined with the Sky’s mix of veteran experience and promising new talent, sets the stage for a thrilling season ahead. If a few key players deliver above expectations, Chicago could be eyeing more than just a playoff spot. But for now, the focus is clear: secure a postseason berth. The journey begins on May 17, when Reese reignites the rivalry with Caitlin Clark as the Sky take on the Fever in one of the most anticipated matchups of the season.