“A lot has changed since my first day here as a rookie,” Courtney Vandersloot, the Chicago Sky franchise’s all-time leader in assists, said on the opening day of training camp. In 2011, her debut year ended with a 14-20 record and no playoff appearance, and now the Chicago Sky are off to an even worse start with a 2-6 record. Despite her legacy as the franchise’s all-time assists leader, the team appears to be caught in a familiar pattern of struggle. 

Vandersloot will miss the rest of the season due to an ACL injury, deepening the woes for the already struggling Sky. The offense isn’t getting any better, the defense ranks them 12th, and they are one spot shy of landing last in net rating. So, the game plan right now? All suggestions surround Reese and Cardoso, who Tyler Marsh believed were “a tandem that can certainly continue to do great things in this league.” 

After analyst Rosalina Lee suggested the two players could be better versions of themselves playing for different teams, USA Today journalist Megan L Hall is suggesting a different tactic. 

“The issue right now is turnovers. It is these dribbling into, you know, kind of the paint and dribbling into defenses and that sort of thing. It gets really congested real, real quick. And I feel like right now for Chicago, the best thing they can do is get both Camilla and Angel actually out of the paint,” the reporter suggested on WNBA Ringer Show. 

Their turnovers are no new issue; the team is leading the league in that with 17.7 per game. In their 8 games so far, they have conceded 152 points because of their turnovers, which have exceeded their points difference, which is 108. Most of those turnovers are being caused in the paint as Cardoso and Reese are occupying similar positions near the basket.

Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are very similar in play style, both relying on their size and physicality to dominate the paint and secure rebounds. However, this overlap has contributed to a stagnant offense, especially under first-year head coach Tyler Marsh, who has yet to implement a dynamic system with off-ball movement or creative sets. So, Hall further added, “You can draw them back in, but like get them out because that’s where teams are kind of crowding them right now.”

What Hall is emphasizing is the urgent need for offensive motion. Moving Reese and Cardoso out of the paint and having them cut in from the outside would introduce a much-needed layer of unpredictability. This adjustment could not only create better spacing but also generate more dynamic entry points to the paint, keeping defenders guessing.

Ultimately, this is about unlocking the full potential of two elite physical talents by combining their size with smarter movement and better spacing. The Chicago Sky could even develop a dynamic between Cardoso and Hailey Van Lith, who is expected to see more playing time, or between Reese and Van Lith, forming an effective two-woman game.

The Aliyah Boston and Caitlin Clark duo for one, has notably worked in their favor, improving the former’s production due to spacing, timely passing, and off-ball movement. If the Sky can create similar synergy, Cardoso and Reese could also experience a significant boost in offensive impact. 

NBA Star showers praise on Angel Reese’s teammate

Criticism has known no rest for Angel Reese thanks to the slow start. So after their loss against the New York Liberty, Ariel Atkins went off at the media. 

“This is a 23-year-old kid, and the amount of crap that she gets on a day-to-day, she still shows up,” she told reporters after the loss.“So whatever questions y’all got about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. But all the other nonsense, it’s irrelevant. We’re here to play basketball, and we’re having a hard time right now at the end of the day.”

The message also reached Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo, who applauded her actions saying, “That’s a great teammate right there💯💪🏾”.

Giannis knows a thing or two about facing media and difficult questions. Back in 2023, after the Bucks’ first-round exit, he was asked if the previous season was a failure. “You asked me the same question last year… Do you get a promotion every year on your job? No, right? So every year you work is a failure? Yes or no? No,” he gracefully replied. One could wear the same lens for Reese following her record-breaking rookie season.