Angel Reese Gets Drafted 7th by WNBA’s Chicago Sky
LSU’s Angel Reese is heading to the Chicago Sky after she was taken seventh overall in the WNBA draft on Monday.
Reese embraced the vibe of her new team. “I feel like I’m a Chi-town girl,” she said. “I wanted to be a rookie again. I’m super excited.”
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Reese joins the Sky, who went 18-22 last season, alongside No. 3 pick Kamilla Cardoso of South Carolina’s national champions.
“She’s a great player,” Cardoso said Monday. “I think we’re going to be great together.”
Reese enters the league with an impressive basketball resume and an even bigger personality. During her collegiate career at the University of Maryland and LSU, Reese averaged 18.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.9 assists per game.
Chicago and Minnesota swapped the No. 7 pick and No. 8 picks in the draft in a Sunday afternoon trade. Reese had floated between those two spots in ESPN’s mock drafts.
When Reese joined LSU, the program was turning a corner. It hired Kim Mulkey the year before as its head coach after she spent over two decades at Baylor. The Tigers then secured a commitment from Flau’Jae Johnson, who became the Southeastern Conference (SEC) Freshman of the Year in 2023.
Reese was the cornerstone piece in LSU earning its first NCAA championship in 2023. The Tigers defeated Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes last April in a title game that drew over 9 million viewers. This year it was Clark who bested Reese in the Elite Eight in a game that shattered more viewership records.
The Baltimore native was well known during her time at Maryland, but her fame exploded at LSU. She boosted her Instagram following and now has 2.7 million followers, the highest number among the men’s and women’s John Wooden Award nominees.
Reese’s NIL value has also grown over the last two seasons. Her $1.8 million valuation, per On3, trails only Clark among women’s college basketball players. She has deals with Panini America, Reebok, Goldman Sachs, Beats by Dre and others.
The Sky begin their season on May 15 against the Dallas Wings. Reese makes her home debut in the Windy City on May 25 against the Connecticut Sun.
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