How veteran leadership is proving vital early for Chicago Sky

“It is just a breath of fresh air.”

Angel Reese came into her rookie season in 2024 with a lot of pressure on her and fellow rookie teammate Kamilla Cardoso to lead the way for the Chicago Sky. 

“Last year was tough for me because I didn’t have a lot of vets,” Reese said.

Now, in 2025, that pressure is more relaxed due to the heavy veteran presence that general manager Jeff Pagliocca and new head coach Tyler Marsh brought onto the roster.

“I think it can take pressure off of other vets to have to feel like you have to lead so much,” veteran guard Rachel Banham said. “So we can do it as a group, as a collective and help these younger players come along.”

There’s the returning Elizabeth Williams, entering her 11th WNBA season, whose 2024 season was unfortunately cut short due to a knee injury. While she helped out and led from the bench, having her back on the court along with her fellow vets is already proving vital in training camp.

“It’s really important to create good habits and that creates longevity in this league,” Williams said. “We have people with experience and also with championship experience. Ariel and Slooty have been around multiple winning organizations so they know what it takes to just be a pro and compete and commit to each other.”

The Sky brought in guards Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot in the offseason, acquiring Atkins in a trade with the Washington Mystics and Vandersloot in free agency. Atkins is entering her 8th season in the W while Vandersloot is entering year 15.

“They help us a lot,” Cardoso said. “Sometimes, I get lost and they come to me and they’re like ‘You’re good, do this and that.’ It’s amazing just having players with more experience being able to teach us stuff and for us to be a sponge and soak everything in,” 

Vandersloot’s presence and return to Chicago is making waves throughout the roster. She knows what it takes to win in the city of Chicago as she was a key player on the 2021 WNBA Championship team. 

“We are striving to do what she’s done here before,” Michaela Onyenwere said. “She knows what it takes so if we can walk her walk, walk in her steps and follow her in that way, we can be led to really great things. 

“If we continue to keep stacking days, [winning a championship] is something that could be in our future, and it starts with Sloot. We look to her to be a leader but for us to be good followers in that way.”

Not only is she showing guidance to really young players like Reese and Cardoso, but she’s a player that other vets have watched and admired during their career.

“It’s such a blessing to play with Sloot,” Banham said. “She’s one of my favorite point guards ever. So I kind of fangirl just watching her. I think she’s so great.”

Vandersloot’s experience is also proving vital for a new head coach in Tyler Marsh. Marsh has only been in the WNBA since 2022 but has years of basketball experience. However, the W is different from the NBA, the college sphere and other leagues.

Her presence provides a sense of security, stability and leadership on the court to take some of the pressure off of Marsh and his coaching staff.

“She’s an extension of us on the floor,” Marsh said. “Anytime that you have that out there, someone that you don’t have to look to the sideline to have to get instructions from, that helps all of us. She doesn’t have the biggest voice but when she talks, people listen. That in itself is powerful and [players] know that when she speaks up, there’s information that she’s going to share.

“There’s some things she has that you just can’t teach. As a coach, it always makes life easier to have someone who has that experience and has that knowledge. Coming from someone like her and someone who’s done it in this building. That has a lot of value in itself.”

Vandersloot has other vets in Williams (11th season), Atkins (8th season), Banham (10th season), Rebecca Allen (10th season), Moriah Jefferson (9th season) and Kia Nurse (7th season) to help take the pressure off of her. Just those players combined have 63 total seasons under their belts heading into 2025. 

Those players know what it takes to build a winning culture under multiple different coaches. Yes, there are different systems and jargon with every coach, but there are similarities and themes across winning teams that they know need to be a part of the 2025 Chicago Sky.

“If we commit to being a team, we sacrifice for one another and sacrifice for the person next to you. I think that’s the kind of culture that you build and eventually, brick by brick, it’s going to build a championship team,” Vandersloot said.

Fans will get their first glimpse at the 2025 Chicago Sky when they play the Brazilian National Team on Friday, May 2 at Louisiana State University. Tip time is at 8 p.m. CT on ION.