For Reese, the disappointment of landing in ninth place was compounded by the fact she missed Chicago's final six games because of a wrist injury. The Sky went 1-5 during that stretch, and their 89-58 blowout at the hands of Washington was particularly costly.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese walked into a perfect situation during her rookie season, which allowed her to blossom into one of the WNBA's best players. Head coach Teresa Weatherspoon empowered her to be a major catalyst for the team's offense and defense, and Reese was up to the task.

The Sky finished 10th in the WNBA with a 13-27 record last season and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2018. The disappointing results were despite getting significant contributions from Reese and fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso. The two young stars are back, and the team made major roster changes to give them some help.