“Be Effective”: Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso Brace for Bold Demands From New Chicago Sky Coach

“To improve from her rookie season, all Angel Reese really needs to do is increase her shooting percentage by 3, 4, maybe 5 points, which is achievable. Suddenly, instead of averaging 13 points and 13 rebounds, she could be at 18 points and 13 rebounds,” advised WNBA legend Sue Bird. The new coach, Tyler Marsh, seems to be delivering a similar message to both the rookie forward and rookie center.

“Both Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso have the potential to be versatile players. We want them to excel in different aspects of the game while still showcasing their strengths,” Marsh shared with the Chicago Tribune. Despite their All-Rookie recognitions, shooting was not their strong suit.

Chi-town Barbie surpassed Candace Parker’s WNBA record with 15 consecutive double-doubles and led the league in rebounds per game with 13.1 in a single season. On the other hand, her Brazilian teammate, a rookie, averaged 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game after recovering from a shoulder injury early in the season. Marsh plans to utilize his ‘Sky Scrapers’ (Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso) as active contributors in the paint to capitalize on Cardoso’s mobility despite her towering height of 6 feet 7 inches.

Before joining the Chicago Sky, Marsh was instrumental in leading the Las Vegas Aces to two consecutive championships as the assistant coach and head of player development. The Aces reached the playoffs for the past three seasons. With three coaching changes in as many seasons, the Windy City might see a positive change with Marsh’s arrival.

Coach’s Concern Over Angel Reese’s Weakness

Last season, the Chicago Sky struggled with scoring, ranking as the second-lowest team in field goal percentage at 42.2%. Additionally, they shot a mere 30.2% from beyond the arc, the fourth-lowest in the league. Hence, it is no surprise that Coach Marsh is keen on instigating changes.

Surprisingly, Angel Reese’s field goal percentage was just under 40% and her 3-point shooting was a mere 18.8%. There were even games where her field goal percentage didn’t exceed 25%. This led to discussions about her scoring efficiency while maintaining her strong rebounding skills. Although her collegiate stats show a consistent subpar performance in shooting beyond the arc, the drop in field goal percentage post-college is concerning.

In her second and third seasons, she shot at 50% and 52.5%, whereas her first and final seasons were around 47%. Marsh highlighted this drop in efficiency to Angel Reese. Despite missing the introductory speech, Reese supported the team by attending the Draft Lottery, hoping for the top pick to potentially draft UConn’s Paige Bueckers, the consensus #1 pick.