NEW ORLEANS — LSU star Angel Reese is heading to Chicago. The Chicago Sky selected the Bayou Barbie with the 7th pick in the 2024 WNBA draft.
Reese will join some familiar faces in the Windy City. South Carolina standout Kamilla Cardoso was picked third by the Sky. The college and high school rivals will now join forces.
"I'm looking forward to playing with her in practice and in games, just bouncing off of each other," Reese said about Cardosa.
Their new coach, Teresa Weatherspoon, was coached by Kim Mulkey. Reese said that because of that, she felt like there was a chance she'd end up with the Sky.
"I'm super excited for this move. And I'm just looking forward to getting to Chicago," Reese said.
When asked what she was looking forward to most in Chicago, Reese responded, "The shopping is great. And just the lifestyle. I'm excited. I feel like I'm a chi-town girl."
Reese also spoke about her decision to leave LSU for the WNBA. She said coming back to Baton Rouge would have been amazing, but she wanted more for herself.
"I wanted to start over. I felt like I had been on a high since the national championship, and I wanted to hit rock bottom. I wanted to be a rookie again. I want to be knocked down by vets, and I want to be able to get up and grow and be a sponge."
In her last season in Baton Rouge, she averaged 18.6 points and 13.4 rebounds per game.
Reese's college career began at The University of Maryland. She spent two seasons there before transferring to LSU, where she blossomed into a star.
Last year, she became one of the most well-known women's college basketball players after winning the national championship and being named the Final Four's Most Outstanding Player. She's also garnered First Team All-America, First Team All-SEC, and SEC All-Defensive Team selections while at LSU.
Off the court, she racked up NIL deals with Raising Cane's, Coach, McDonald's, Wingstop, Outback Steakhouse, Campus Ink, Caktus AI, Mercedes Benz of Baton Rouge, SI Swimsuit, Mielle, Starry, Final Fantasy XVI, Amazon, Goldman Sachs, and ZOA energy.
The 2024 WNBA regular season tips off next month on May 14.
2024 WNBA Draft first-round picks
1. Fever - Caitlin Clark, Iowa
2. Sparks - Cameron Brink, Stanford
3. Sky - Kamilla Cardoso, South Carolina
4. Sparks - Rickea Jackson, Tennessee
5. Wings - Jacy Sheldon, Ohio State
6. Mystics- -Aaliyah Edwards, UConn
7. Sky - Angel Reese, LSU
8. Lynx - Alissa Pili, Utah
9. Wings - Carla Leite, France
10. Sun - Leila Lacan, France
11. Liberty - Marquesha Davis, Ole Miss
12. Dream - Nyadiew Puoch, Australia
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