All Eyes on the Rookies in Sky’s First Preseason Game

Chicago Sky first-round pick Kamilla Cardoso will be one of three rookies who the spolight will shine upon tonight in Minneapolis during the first preseason game. of the season.

Tonight, in Minneapolis, the Chicago Sky will start their preseason with a game against the Lynx. Unlike seasons past, this year will be all about rookie development with first-round picks Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese to go along with second-round pick Brynna Maxwell being thrown into the fire right out the gate. The trio have had much hype about them the past two weeks. Now they will get to see first-hand what playing in the WNBA will be all about.

“Coach told me to be prepared, be in shape and get ready to have a good training camp,” Cardoso said. “I definitely think my outside shot, 12 to 15 feet, that I feel like is a big thing I will need to work on,” when asked by Jcoydenreports what area of her game she will work on the most.

As the #3 overall pick, Cardoso will be the one from a strategy standpoint that most opponents are going to concentrate on. At 6’7” she will be an imposing rebounder and fierce rim-protector on defense and could prove to be a nightmare in the low-post to try and stop. However, she understands that teams are likely to collapse down on her so she will have to add to her offensive skill set.

“I think my ability to run the floor and finish around the basket will be the skills that help me the most in the WNBA,” Cardoso says.

When she was being recruited by Syracuse University, Cardoso was hosted by Chicago native Gabrielle Cooper who is now playing professionally overseas. During her freshman campaign at Syracuse, Cardoso averaged 13.6 points, eight rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game, becoming the first player in program’s history to win the Atlantic Coast Conference Freshman of the Year Award.

“Gabby told me Chicago is an amazing city and that you all are really passionate about the game and they will show me much love here,” said Cardoso with a smile.  

Dana Evans will be the floor leader for the Sky this season. Photo courtesy of Chicago Sky.

What offensive scheme Coach T. Weatherspoon decides to implement will be interesting. Both Reese and Cardoso can run the floor well, despite their size. Weatherspoon said during her introductory press conference a few months ago that she likes an up-tempo game, but that was when she had Kahleah Copper on the team. With that key weapon now in Phoenix, it will be interesting to see what direction the Sky’s offense goes in the halfcourt. Many are predicting they will run a lot of high-low sets with Reese setting up at the free throw line and Cardoso down on the blocks. That means Dana Evans will now be more important that ever before as the starting point guard, a role she has been groomed for the past three seasons with the Sky.

“I feel really happy that I’m getting the opportunity to be one of the leaders of this team as well as being the starting point guard,” Evans said.

A member of the 2021 championship team as a rookie, Evans showed many signs last year of how good of a player she is when she nailed a couple of game-winning shots in the regular season. Although it was tough playing behind veterans Courtney Vandersloot and Courtney Williams in her first three years, Evans has shown she has the skills and maturity to take the next step. She said the confidence being shown in her by Weatherspoon has been great.

“As a playmaker, it’s important that you lead by example. You know exactly what the head coach wants, being an extension of who I am,” Weatherspoon told the Chicago Sun-Times this week.

As much well-deserved hype this draft class is generating, the key to the Sky’s success this year will lie with its veterans. Evans, Diamond DeShields, and Isabelle Harrison will play huge roles in helping the rookies adjust to life in the WNBA on and off the court. DeShields and Harrison are both fighting nagging injuries, but if healthy could be a key to the Sky’s playoff chances.

Reese’s impact her first year in the league may actually come just off of her sheer marketability. The native of Baltimore is excited to be in the third largest media market in the country, which is expected to increase WNBA viewership. It will also help Reese with the products she already endorses and more than likely will lead to more opportunities. For the Sky, Reese’s presence is already having a major impact financially, something that is not lost on the soon to be 22-year-old.

“Being able to see our ticket sales going up, being able to see the jersey sellouts and so many people reaching out and loving women's basketball… that's all I'm about,” Reese said. “I like being able to grow the game and being able to come here and make an impact is something I'm looking forward to.”

Despite the highly unlikely chance that she doesn’t make the team, Reese said she is committed to doing the work to make the team and be a real contributor in her first season. Her awareness that even high first-round picks get cut from teams in the WNBA due to roster limitations and there only being 12 teams, shows she understands the stakes.

“There's always a concern you can get cut,” Reese began. “Nobody's guaranteed. I don't want to go into the League thinking that I'm automatically on a team because I'm not. Anybody can get cut any given day and we have amazing vets on our team. And I know they're gonna push me every day to get me better every day. So, there's no given spot, and I don't take this moment for granted or think it will be given to me. I need to go out there and earn my spot.”

Maxwell might not be getting as much publicity as Reese or Cardoso, but she will be important in the half-court offense to the Sky this year. As teams will be expecting to concentrate on the post players along with stopping Evans, Maxwell’s ability to hit the open shot on the wing will be vital. Already tapping the advice from veterans, she said things are moving very fast for her, but she is learning.

“I feel like every day. I'm learning about 50 new things, and it's awesome,” Maxwell began. “I really feel like I've grown as a player. I think what sets me apart is the way I can get my shot off in any way, either off the dribble, off the move, off the catch, and with any footwork, whatever's needed, and I have a pretty quick release. I think, being able to do that consistently, at a high percentage, at a high clip is what kind of sets me apart from others.”