In one of the wildest twists of the 2024 WNBA Draft, both Reese and Cardoso were picked up by the Chicago Sky. And if not extremely hard, waking up as teammates must’ve been… let’s say, awkward. After all, you don’t exactly fist-bump the girl who grabbed your hair or who tried to floor your teammate a month ago. Yeah, there were plenty of battles between Reese and Cardoso. But both knew the story had to flip overnight if they wanted to avoid being stuck in a limbo together with their new team. So instead of colliding in the paint, they spent their rookie season owning it together. And somewhere along the line, they even started joking: “Ain’t nobody getting rebounds on us.”

Still, no fairytale here—the team missed the playoffs. And so, Head Coach Teresa Weatherspoon was out. Reese, who had genuinely bonded with her, was crushed. Reports painted a fractured locker room and veterans side-eyeing the clipboard. Enter Tyler Marsh, who walked in and calmly declared, “Nothing that’s happened in the past… impacts what we’re doing moving forward.” Just like that, a line was drawn. Past is past. Maybe that is why it felt like a breath of fresh air, watching this year’s training camp videos. Honestly, whatever Marsh is doing, it is working. Otherwise, why would Cardoso not be able to stop smiling?? 

At a recent training camp press conference, Cardoso made her feelings clear about the new HC, saying, “I think he’s an amazing coach. I love his vision. The energy is there. It’s just amazing to be here”. 

Sound familiar? It should. Just days earlier, Angel Reese echoed the same sentiment: “He brings a great vibe. He wants to win. He wants to bring that winning culture to Chicago.” Two players, one message—and that’s because of Marsh. And this is exactly what Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca was hoping for when he called Marsh an easy choice.

The former Las Vegas Aces assistant, known for player development, helped Jackie Young improve from a 25% to nearly 39% three-point shooter. A former assistant to Becky Hammon in Las Vegas, he brings his championship pedigree and even has an NBA ring on his resume from his time with the Toronto Raptors. Now, he’s planning to unlock Reese and Cardoso’s true potential the same way while aiming to “win” the entire season! So, gone is the heartbreak of losing Teresa Weatherspoon. In its place? A new fire.

And while he called the skyscraper duo a cornerstone of the franchise, he is not trying to transform them into something they are not. “We want to continue to highlight their strengths,” he said. “We also want to continue to improve and figure out ways where they can score easily“.

He is also making sure there is no scope for a mismatch, even when it comes to him. His first hire? Courtney Paris, as an assistant coach. Their synergy could be predicted by what Marsh said and the two themselves might become a duo to watch out for. “Every time we played Dallas, I always found myself watching Courtney’s pregame work with their post players & loved what she was doing,” he said.

So, yes, it seems like everyone’s on board, and we sure are set to witness some serious growth.

 Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky reload under coach Marsh.