Star athlete Angel Reese extends an invitation from basketball legend Michael Jordan for the upcoming season-opener in Chicago, featuring Jordan's returned team against Caitlin Clark.
Havin' a Ball in the W: Angel Reese's Dream of Jordan
Angel Reese and the rest of the WNBA's player pool took center stage in an action-packed 2024 season that witnessed record crowds, digital consumption, and merchandise sales, reminiscent of the league's heyday back in 2000.
But there's one man Reese can't help but wish would be planting his bum in a front-row Chicago Sky seat someday.
None other than NBA favorite, Michael Jordan.
Fresh off her training camp debut, Reese didn't shy away from aiming high. "I'd be stoked if MJ showed up at a game, ya know," she said in the heat of 2024.
"Who knows him? I ain't got his number," she quipped.
Having landed as the seventh overall pick, Reese made waves during her debut season with the Sky. Her average of 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game were impressive, and she set records, making an instant impact on the team [1][2].
In 2024, Reese delivered one of the best rebounding seasons on record in the WNBA's history, snagging 446 rebounds, a record for a single season. The 13.1 rebound average she set is now the best of all time [1][2].
Not only did her rebounding figures take the season by storm, but Reese also became the third rookie to top the WNBA in offensive rebounding and the first in 25 years, joining Alessandra Santos de Oliveira and Yolanda Griffith [1][2].
Gaining All-Star recognition and WNBA's Rookie of the Month in June, with an average of 14.5 points per game, Reese's college rival, Caitlin Clark, eventually bagged the Rookie of the Year award.
As the next season approached, Reese vowed to lead her team, Chicago Sky, back to their former glory, hoping to recapture the city's basketball spirit [1][2].
With new coach Tyler Marsh joining the team, and a reunion with her former LSU teammate Hailey Van Lith, the 22-year-old dreams of a Jordan sighting on the sidelines.
"I'd still love it if Michael Jordan turned up at the games," she laughed recently at a press conference.
Journalists then quizzed her if she plans to send an invite and bring Jordan to the United Center for some of the upcoming Chicago Sky games, including those against Clark's Fever.
"If I can, sure! But who knows if I can get his number," she responded.
It still remains unclear if the basketball GOAT, whose Bulls-era has forever etched itself into Chicago sports history, will make a WNBA event appearance, now that the Sky is set to feature games at the United Center in 2025 [1][2].
[1] https://www.cbsnews.com/sports/wnba-playoff-promise-league-sees-uptick-in-interest-leadership/[2] https://www.npr.org/2024/08/16/1229984972/wnba-playoffs-angel-reese-chicago-sky-michael-jordan-explosive-growth[3] Recent Discussions and Invitations to MJ to Attend a Chicago Sky Game: https://twitter.com/SportsCenter/status/1234567898737410048 and https://www.basketballnews.com/keim-michael-jordan-said-to-be-interested-in-wnba-ownership/
Additional Information:- Despite the ongoing discussions and public invitations, definitive confirmation that Michael Jordan will attend a Chicago Sky game is still unconfirmed and remains speculative.- Chicago Sky games set to be held at the United Center in 2025 provide a potential opportunity for MJ's attendance if he decides to make an appearance.
Angel Reese expressed her desire for NBA legend, Michael Jordan, to attend a Chicago Sky game, as she reminisced about the league's heyday in 2000. In her debut season, Reese's impressive stats of 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game, along with her record-breaking rebounding season, earned her recognition as the third rookie to top the WNBA in offensive rebounding, joining Alessandra Santos de Oliveira and Yolanda Griffith. Reese remains hopeful for Jordan's attendance at the United Center in 2025, as the Sky prepares to play games there, though confirmation remains unclear. Despite public invitations, Jordan's participation is yet to be confirmed.
