When Angel Reese entered the transfer portal, despite having a good season with Maryland, the decision raised many eyebrows. But for Reese, it was a fresh start, and that too with a coach who could develop her into a stretch four to prepare for the pro league. So, finally, she found her match and announced her transfer to LSU. It was the “winning culture” she desired to join under head coach Kim Mulkey, and it turned out to be the best decision she could have made. After all, she got to hold the National Championship trophy, and that too by defeating Caitlin Clark and Iowa.

But not every season is the same, so in the following season, Reese and company were knocked out by Iowa in the Elite Eight. Simply put, at LSU, Reese experienced a combination of wins and losses.

Now, after two years, when she’s returning to LSU’s Pete Maravich Assembly Center on May 2, 2025, it’s bound to be pretty nostalgic for her. “It will be amazing to return to Baton Rouge, a community that means so much to me,” Reese said, expressing the gratitude and excitement that only a true Tiger could feel. However, not everyone feels the same way as Sky’s #5 does. Just ask Kamilla Cardoso.

For her, too, the game is pretty nostalgic, but for a different reason, since it will be against the Brazilian National Team, whom she played for before being drafted as the No. 2 overall pick in the 2024 draft.

“Brazil has played such an important role in my life and has shaped the person I am today. Playing for the Sky against my former team gives me a wonderful opportunity to connect with my roots and play in front of old friends and teammates back home,” shared Cardoso. However, with Baton Rouge comes a fortune for her, too.

“Well, we won every time we played them, right? So…” said Cardoso. If you know, you know.

Well, there are way too many instances of their SEC rivalry, none more infamous than the 2024 SEC Championship game, where Reese was criticized for grabbing Cardoso’s hair, and Cardoso was ejected for shoving LSU’s Flau’jae Johnson, escalating tensions between South Carolina and LSU. Even head coach Mulkey didn’t hold back after the game, blasting the move and declaring, “I wish she would have pushed Angel Reese. Don’t push a kid… you’re 6’8″, don’t push somebody that little.” 

Fast forward just a few weeks, and the script completely flipped. In one of the most exciting twists of the 2024 WNBA Draft, Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso were both selected by the Chicago Sky. Now? Instead of colliding in the paint, they own it together. But yes, this upcoming game is more than a preseason exhibition. Beneath the excitement lies a lingering competitive edge from their college days, where South Carolina, under coach Dawn Staley, maintained an unblemished 16-0 record against LSU since Kim Mulkey took over in 2021.

And what Cardoso said seems even more like a subtle jab when you remember what Reese said in March last year: “We’re not scared of South Carolina,” she said. “Anybody who sees us should be scared. We’re in a good place right now“. Yeah, considering that South Carolina beat fifth-ranked LSU 66-56 in Jan this year, winning their 17th straight and all five since Mulkey took over.

So, while they might touch shoulders in the game against the Brazilian National Team, it will be done for a common goal and possibly with a couple of playful winks. After all, the no love lost narrative doesn’t hold that much now. “I’m just so excited I get to play with Kamilla,” Reese said after her selection, recalling how their battles dated all the way back to high school. But she wasn’t alone. Cardoso shared similar sentiments. She joked during her press conference, “Two great players together — nobody’s going to get no rebounds on us.”

So, yes, Cardoso’s words have set the stage for a narrative-rich preseason clash, where past histories and present ambitions will collide under the bright lights of LSU’s home court.

A win-win situation for Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky

Well, the Chicago Sky are entering the 2025 WNBA season with a whole new energy and a whole new roster to match it. After a tough 13–27 season in 2024, the franchise made it clear they weren’t interested in a slow rebuild. Under the leadership of newly appointed head coach Tyler Marsh, the Sky have blended seasoned veterans with rising stars to forge a team that looks ready to make some serious noise.

At the heart of this new chapter are two second-year phenoms: Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso. After a rookie campaign where Reese solidified her 13.1 rebounding and 13.6 scoring average, she’s now primed to be the centerpiece of Chicago’s frontcourt.

Meanwhile, Cardoso, who impressed fans across the globe by winning a major MVP award overseas, returns with even more polish and a hunger to dominate in the paint. But it’s not just about the young guns. The Sky pulled off a blockbuster trade to land veteran guard Ariel Atkins, a move that screamed “win-now.”

Known for her two-way play, Atkins is expected to be a major force on both ends of the floor. And speaking of veteran leadership, Courtney Vandersloot is back in Chicago. But this time, she’s got an even bigger role. A former Sky icon and assists queen, Vandersloot’s arrival offers a steady hand to guide the young roster.

To add even more depth, Chicago’s 2025 WNBA Draft was a success. Hailey Van Lith, selected 11th overall, and Ajša Sivka, taken at No. 10, bring scoring punch. Then there’s second-round pick Maddy Westbeld and a combination of vets like Rebecca Allen, Kia Nurse, Elizabeth Williams, Michaela Onyenwere, and Rachel Banham.

So, no doubt, the team is fully efficient. The only thing that remains to be seen is the score by which the Sky defeats the Brazilian Nationals!