Angel Reese — surrounded by Sky team that 'has [her] back' — embracing season to come

Angel Reese has the name and the fame.

But does the second-year Sky forward have the game?

That’s an oversimplified way of saying Reese, a little over a week shy of her 23rd birthday, will be under the microscope again this season, the player most closely watched from all corners of the WNBA universe as the Sky attempt to put a difficult 2024 in the rearview.

We all know the impact she can have on a game. A player doesn’t make the All-Star Game and the all-rookie team and break the league single-season rebounding record by accident. A former national champion and NCAA Tournament most outstanding player at LSU, Reese is a live wire popping with competitiveness and vigor — attributes any team coming off a 13-27 campaign would be thrilled to have.

But if Reese is an ascendant superstar — not just one of the faces of the league but, potentially, one of its best players — then the wins will have to follow.

The Sky made offseason noise with a large-scale overhaul of their roster and the hiring of former Aces assistant Tyler Marsh as coach. Point guard Courtney Vandersloot, one of the great players in franchise history, is back in the saddle. Two-time All-Star guard Ariel Atkins has entered the building, as has big-name draftee Hailey Van Lith. Center Kamilla Cardoso — drafted four spots ahead of Reese at No. 3 overall in 2024 — also was on the floor Sunday as the Sky opened training camp in Deerfield, and her development within the offense will be one of the vital stories over the next several months.

Still, it’s Reese whose name is at the top of the Sky marquee. That’s true today, will be true when the Sky open the season with back-to-back tests against the Fever and the Liberty — the teams with the best championship odds in the league — and might be true for as long as Reese, one of the highest-profile athletes in the city, has a Sky jersey on her back.

On Day 1 of camp, she embraced the moment with enthusiasm.

“The vibes are here,” Reese said. “The energy is here. We know what it’s going to take.”

On the list is her own improvement at the offensive end, an agenda that encompasses finishing with higher efficiency near the rim and contributing to better spacing with an uptick — even if not a huge one — in perimeter shooting, among other things.

Reese isn’t a finished offensive product, but what matters is she knows and is welcoming the challenge of it. Also, while playing in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled three-on-three league, she soaked up the positive influences of been-there, done-that teammates including Chelsea Gray, the leader of the title-winning Rose squad. Reese mentioned eating habits and daily recovery as areas in which she became more savvy.

“I feel really good,” she said. “The confidence of me going in [is high]. I think the offseason was super important for me, being around vets.”

With Vandersloot, Atkins and fellow newcomers Kia Nurse and Rebecca Allen among those in camp, Reese is basking in the presence of veterans. She clearly believes life with the Sky has gotten more beneficial and agreeable in that regard.

“Oh, my God, a breath of fresh air, man,” Reese said. “I mean, from top to bottom … it’s just a breath of fresh air to have somebody to have your back.”

Already, though? Camp just started.

“Training camp is completely different this year from last year,” she said. “You felt the energy. You felt the vibes. You felt the positive energy in the building that everybody just comes here and wants to win and has one goal.”

Reese says she isn’t a vet herself yet, but that doesn’t mean she can’t be a “big sister” to Van Lith — a former teammate at LSU — or anyone else in their first go-round.

“I know a lot of pressure is probably on [Van Lith] from the outside,” Reese said. “I know how it is, being a big name coming to town and expected to do big things, and I’m just telling her, like, ‘Stay calm, stay cool.’ We have a great relationship. I love her and just being able to be here for her in this moment, because last year was tough for me because I didn’t have a lot of vets.”

Reese’s jersey and other merchandise sold at a higher rate last year than any other WNBA player’s outside of Caitlin Clark. Only a dozen or so players are higher than Reese on MVP boards going into the season. No one can deny Reese’s name carries a lot of weight.

But only her game can drag the Sky from outside the playoff window, looking in, to a place of true WNBA relevance. That means winning. Reese is on the clock.