Fans in awe of Angel Reese improvements in first Sky preseason game: “WNBA’s version of Anthony Davis”

Chicago Sky superstar Angel Reese returned to LSU to play the Brazilian National Team to kickstart the WNBA preseason.

Fans in awe of Angel Reese improvements in first Sky preseason game: “WNBA’s version of Anthony Davis”

Angel Reese dominated in Chicago Sky preseason opener (Image via Firstsportz)

Today, the Chicago Sky opened their 2025 WNBA preseason with a trip to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, home of the LSU Tigers. That happens to be where Angel Reese developed into a championship-winning player, setting the stage for them to play in front of her fans.

She won the national championship with LSU, and her popularity helped elevate the status of the program. That explained why Pete Maravich Assembly Center had fans wearing both her college as well as Sky jerseys. Her former head coach, Kim Mulkey, came out to felicitate her and former LSU and newest Sky teammate Hailey Van Lith.

Angel Reese started the game at her usual power forward position and quickly started establishing connections with her three new starters. They raced into a comfortable lead against the Brazilian National Team, and Reese was impacting every aspect of the game.

In the second quarter, she launched a three-quarter court pass to Rachel Banham for an easy layup. Reese then continued to position herself for easy passes from veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot, while also scoring from around the court.

The 22-year-old played all of seventeen minutes, but managed to score 15 points while grabbing 10 rebounds in addition to two steals. She set the tone on defense, which helped keep a national team at bay. The Chicago Sky won the game 89-62, with her leading the game in scoring, rebounding as well as steals.

Angel Reese’s performance leaves WNBA fans in shock

Angel Reese had promised during the inaugural Unrivaled League season that she would bring her A-game to the Sky. She was working with Hall of Famer Lisa Leslie as well as Minnesota Lynx superstar Napheesa Collier during that period.

WNBA fans saw the fruits of it, as she looked composed underneath the basket. Her footwork looked a lot better, and she ensured she was in the right position most of the time. This overall improvement in awareness made fans believe she was going to light up the WNBA in her sophomore season. Check out examples of those comments below.

This was an exhibition game where players do not usually perform at their best. They use these games just to get back into game rhythm and focus on improving their skills and chemistry with teammates before the regular season starts. But if this was her performance in the first preseason game, fans wonder how she will be when the serious games start.

Angel Reese, Chicago have the pieces to be a solid playoff team

The Chicago Sky signed free agents Vandersloot and Kia Nurse on one-year deals. They also traded for forward Rebecca Allen and two-time All-Star Ariel Atkins. Then they traded with other teams to land additional draft picks to select Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld.

Angel Reese seems to have worked on her all-round game in the offseason
Angel Reese seems to have worked on her all-round game in the offseason (Image via ESPN)

Their top draft pick, Ajsa Sivka, will not play this year as she continues her development in Europe. But that should not be a problem for a team brimming with that much talent. They now have a strong starting five and a solid bench.

All of the veteran starters are battling to sign good contracts next season. Whereas the bench will look to cement some long-term contracts to continue playing in the WNBA. That hunger, along with the drive of Reese and fellow draftee Kamilla Cardoso to prove doubters wrong, should bode well for the Sky.

They have the players as well as a highly-regarded assistant as their head coach. The Sky can quickly become a dark horse in the race for a playoff spot. Then when they reach it, the collective experience of their veterans should help them compete with the best in the league.

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