Sky fans enjoy each other’s company ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Chicago Sky fan Ian Walsh had one reaction when the team traded former franchise player Kahleah Copper.
“I was like, ‘What the heck are they thinking?’” said Walsh, who has been a fan since 2012.
The vision for the Sky’s future became clearer after Monday night when the team selected South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso (No. 3) and LSU forward Angel Reese (No. 7) in the 2024 WNBA Draft. This draft was the team’s chance to kick-start the next era for the team.
The Sky are not only building up a team after Copper — one of the last vestiges of the 2021 WNBA championship-winning team — was traded, but they’re also trying to build a new identity after hiring head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and general manager Jeff Pagliocca following their 18-22 record last season.
Tim Libretti, who has been a Sky fan since 2014, was enthusiastic about the intangibles both players will bring.
“They got the best player available for their needs,” Libretti said. “She’s [Cardoso] an exciting young player, who, like Candace Parker, comes from a great coach and program. It’s really important to bring someone who has not just a spirit of winning but a spirit of what winning is based on.”
Cardoso averaged 14.4 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 2.5 blocks. She’s a two-time national champion and was named the 2024 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player. But she didn’t generate the largest applause of the night.
Reese, who was one of the most talked-about players in college basketball, held that distinction. The crowd applauded, shouted her name, and started a ‘Let’s go Sky’ chant after the 2023 national champion’s name came across the television.
“She’s just so exciting,” Libretti said of Reese. “She brings a lot of personality to the team.”
The energy, excitement and braggadociousness. Selecting Cardoso and Reese gives Sky fans reason to hope. The team has progressed past the days playing at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont. They now have a fanbase that comes out to commiserate over drinks and food in anticipation of who the Sky will build around.
In addition to the talent of Reese and Cardoso, the two players play with an energy that will mesh with the fiery style of Weatherspoon. It’s rare for a team to have two top-10 picks, particularly players that can bring as much fanfare as Reese and Cardoso.
“I’m excited for the future of the franchise,” Sky fan Ryan Dwyer said. “There’s such a hype right now around the Sky. [This draft] can propel us to the top of the league.”