WNBA Champion Details How Angel Reese Can Unlock Offensive Game in Sophomore Season

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky are less than 24 hours away from their season opener against the Caitlin Clark-led Indiana Fever at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. The Sky have renewed expectations after missing the 2024 playoffs in the final days of the regular season.

The front office parted ways with several players, including Chennedy Carter, their best scorer last year, to make room for new faces. While they added new players, the Sky also reunited with Courtney Vandersloot, who’s fresh off a championship with the New York Liberty.

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Vandersloot is a proven veteran who played with other high-profile players such as Elena Delle Donne, Candace Parker, Breanna Stewart and Sabrina Ionescu. She’s used to helping them succeed, which is exactly what the Sky wants from her now that Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are the franchise’s stars.

Jon Greenberg of The Athletic explained on Friday that the Sky hope to see Vandersloot help Reese unlock her offensive potential in 2025. She was well-known (and criticized) for her poor shooting ability and how she often grabbed rebounds off her missed shots under the rim.

Vandersloot broke down how the new coaching staff and the veterans can help Reese expand her game and complement Cardoso’s game.

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“I think she has to find her niche, especially with another post player (in Cardoso),” Vandersloot said. “I think the paint was kind of always hers, and now we have someone else that could dominate in the paint, too. So we’re finding ways for them to play off each other. But I think having her on the perimeter is going to be really good for her career. I think she handles the ball really well, which I didn’t know before I came here. She can pass it very well. So she has a lot of other skill sets other than just rebounding and layups. And I think we’ve got to tap into that.”