Chicago Sky to face Brazil in a preseason game on LSU's campus to celebrate Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso
The event will celebrate the team's pair of second-year stars, pitting Kamilla Cardoso against her native country's team while bringing Angel Reese back to Baton Rouge for her first game at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center since her senior season with the Tigers.
Preseason games on the college campuses of current WNBA players have become a new trend in the league after the Las Vegas Aces played the Puerto Rican national team at South Carolina to highlight star A'ja Wilson last season. The Indiana Fever followed suit this year, announcing their own preseason game against Brazil in Iowa to return star Caitlin Clark to her former campus.
The Sky's game will provide a unique experience for Cardoso, who has become the cornerstone for the future of Brazilian women's basketball, anchoring the team that won gold in the 2023 FIBA Women's AmeriCup and the South American Women's Championship in 2022. The Brazilian national team will use this exhibition as a warmup game to prepare for the 2025 FIBA Women's Americup, which will take place from June 28 to July 5.
'Brazil has played such an important role in my life and has shaped the person I am today,' Cardoso said in a statement. '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.'
Reese won a national championship with the Tigers in 2023 and was also named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA Tournament.
In three seasons with the Tigers, she was named the 2024 SEC Player of the Year and a three-time AP All-American, in addition to earning two First Team All-SEC selections, two SEC All-Defense honors and a 2024 Wooden Award All-American Team selection.
Reese left Baton Rouge in third place for all-time scoring in program history (829) and the program's leader in career rebounds per game (14.4).
'It will be amazing to return to Baton Rouge, a community that means so much to me,' Reese said. 'LSU was instrumental in preparing me for the WNBA and I can't wait to hit the court in front of both Tigers and Sky fans.'
The game will scheduled for 7 p.m. CT at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center. Tickets go on sale Feb. 17. No broadcast information has been announced yet.
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