Friday, the Sky took a significant step forward.
Of course, there was the obvious in their 14-point win over the last-place Sparks. However, the experience gained by the Sky’s rookie bigs, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso, is more notable.
“We could have let this one slip tonight,” Reese said. “But we focused on the little details and we know how much it meant. We said in the locker room before the game, ‘Play this game like it’s your last.’ If we keep going into games like that with that mindset, the Sky’s the limit.”
Reese and Cardoso have championship pedigrees.
Cardoso is a two-time champion and most recently led the Gamecocks on an undefeated title run before being drafted by the Sky in April. Reese led LSU to its first NCAA title in 2023.
For both rookies this is the most losing they’ve experienced in their young careers.
“Adversity builds character,” Reese said. “We’ve seen our character in the locker room, being able to see how mentally tough we are. We stayed together. It wasn’t easy. It was a lot of going back and forth, figuring things out. A lot of tears, a lot of emotion tied, but knowing what the main goal is. The main goal is to win, get to a championship and get to the playoffs.”
One of the biggest question marks for the Sky coming into this season was how the team’s inexperienced roster would handle adversity. Beyond Reese and Cardoso, the Sky’s inexperience is reflected in their first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. While the Sky do have veterans like Diamond DeShields and Elizabeth Williams, this roster collectively has minimal experience playing together.
DeShields has on more than one occasion drawn comparisons between her rookie season and the current one. In 2018, the Sky had two lottery picks and used them to select DeShields and forward Gabby Williams. They proceeded to go 13-21 and finish 10th in league standings.
That roster was similarly inexperienced aside from two very important veteran pieces: guards Allie Quigley and Courtney Vandersloot.
“I told Angel, ‘You’re carrying a heavy load, but I’ve been there,'” DeShields said ahead of the Sky’s loss to the Aces. “If there’s one person that knows, it’s me.
It’s very important this year, despite the losses and some of the disappointments, that we have to also look at it as a sign of hope. You’re getting ready for the future, too.”
A lot needs to come together for the seeds being planted now to bear the fruit of a title.
Friday offered a glimpse of the efficiency the Sky need out of Reese. It also pointed to the Sky’s continued need to get Cardoso more involved offensively.
Reese finished with 24 points shooting 9-for-15 from the field. There was one move in particular that showed how skilled she can be in the post. Early in the game, Lindsay Allen got the ball in to Reese who had Sparks forward Dearica Hamby on her back on the block. She took two dribbles with her right hand before powering up and under Hamby for a smooth finish.
“I’ve been tough on her,” Weatherspoon said when asked about Reese’s efficiency Friday night. “I’ve been on her pretty bad about finishing. She works her tail off. That’s about being patient and sometimes giving yourself a little bit of grace and doing what you’ve trained yourself to do and trust that training at all times.”
Cardoso finished with 12 points on just eight attempts. One of the most critical areas for Sky to improve is their entry passes to Cardoso and her overall involvement in the halfcourt.
“We had to make a few adjustments because of how [the Sparks] were trying to defend Cardoso,” Weatherspoon said Friday. “We had to move Angel around a little bit so they couldn’t double as much as they wanted to.”
As Reese’s shot profile develops, it will free up Cardoso on the block. Since the Olympic break, Cardoso is averaging 12.7 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. Her improved scoring average is a reflection of her confidence, but also better spacing between Cardoso and Reese in their half court offense.
“We had to learn to create a little bit more space,” Weatherspoon said. “It was kind of crowded down there with the both of them trying to dominate the paint. They found their rhythm of how to get the ball high, low.”
The Sky pulled off a significant turnaround between the 2018 season and 2019. After two straight seasons missing the postseason, new coach/general manager James Wade led the Sky to a fifth-place finish and a first-round playoff win over the Mercury.
This year’s Sky team is still in the playoff picture with six games remaining. Whether it’s with a lottery pick or through free agency, the next step in this rebuild will come down to moves made by GM Jeff Pagliocca.