MIAMI — Angel Reese is at the center of what’s being built in Chicago.
The Sky’s fall from title contenders to the league’s bottom tier over the last two years would have included an erasure of relevance as well, if not for Reese and fellow 2024 rookie Kamilla Cardoso. Despite the Sky’s dismal season in 2024, Reese’s popularity, coupled with a record-breaking rookie season, kept them at the top of league discussions.
However, the Sky’s on-court success in 2025 will hinge upon two things: a successful free agency and Reese’s continued development heading into her sophomore season.
That development will occur in Miami, playing in Unrivaled’s inaugural season.
“Coming into the offseason, getting healthy was the most important thing for me,” Reese, who had surgery to repair a fracture in her left wrist in September, said. “Then being able to work on the things I want to work on from my first year. I’m not going to put my hat down that I didn’t have a great rookie season, but I want to come back in year two and. be better, not just be complacent and be a one-dimensional kind of player.”
On Friday, Reese — a member of Rose BC — played in the league’s opening night finale game against Vinyl BC, coached by former Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon. She finished with 10 points, 14 rebounds and four assists in Rose’s 79-73 loss to Vinyl. The first game was between co-founders Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier’s teams, Mist BC and the Lunar Owls. Stewart scored the first field goal in Unrivaled’s history in her team’s 84-80 loss.
There were questions regarding the impact playing 3-on-3 would have on a player’s development versus the typical 5-on-5 game. The consensus is that playing this format will expose players’ weaknesses, accelerating their development, specifically rookies.
“If I had a private client, trying to get them better, the 3-on-3 environment is one of the best ways,” Lunar Owls coach DJ Sackmann said. “There’s no substitute for playing. It’s a great developmental tool because you have way more usage in 3-on-3. You get more touches than 5-on-5. You have to defend the ball more. You can kind of hide in 5-on-5 a little bit, take possessions off. In this game, you can’t take any possessions off.”
The future of Reese’s game is, as she said, in not being one-dimensional.
On Rose BC, she’s playing alongside vets like three-time WNBA champion Chelsea Gray and 2021 Finals MVP Kahleah Copper. Gray, who has played alongside three league-MVP forwards in Nneka Ogwumike, Candace Parker and A’ja Wilson, said the indication of Reese’s potential in the WNBA could be found in her approach.
“She obviously knows what areas she needs to grow and she’s gotten better and learns is what I’ve seen,” Gray said. “That’s the telltale of somebody that wants to be really good. Each year, you come in with a different thing, and you get better. Being here at Unrivaled will help accelerate that because she has an opportunity to play against great players all the time.”
Reese has been adamant that developing her game outside of the paint is a priority, but she knows her dominance is rooted in her physicality in the post. Her continued success in the WNBA lies in her ability to merge the two skillsets.
“You don’t want to continue to do the same things,” Reese said. “I know I can continue to bang, bang, bang but looking down the long road, sometimes I think how many years am I going to be able to get these double-doubles and all these rebounds. I continue taking shots, risky shots I guess and shots that people don’t expect me to take. This league you want to win and play the right way, but work on things that lead into the W season.”