Angel Reese is under no illusions that she's guaranteed a roster spot with the Chicago Sky, even though the franchise selected her with the No. 7 overall pick in the WNBA draft.

The former LSU women's basketball star said in a Wednesday news conference that she is preparing to earn her way onto the team in preseason training camp, which for the Sky, begins Sunday.

"Oh no, there's always a concern," Reese said. "Nobody's guaranteed. I don't want to go into the league thinking that I'm automatically on the team because I'm not. Anybody can get cut any given day."

Cracking a WNBA roster is no easy feat. Collectively, the league has a total of only 144 roster spots, split evenly among its 12 franchises. The roster crunch frequently forces teams to waive second and third-round picks in the time between the draft and the start of the season.
Last season, of the 32 rookies who were eligible to play in the WNBA for the 2023 season, just 18 earned roster spots. That includes all 10 first-round picks who could play immediately.

So, Reese's roster spot is likely safe. But she'll still have to compete for playing time coach Teresa Weatherspoon's rotation. Of the 14 players listed on the Sky's training camp roster, seven play in the frontcourt.

"We have amazing vets on our team," Reese said, "and I know they're gonna push me every day to get better."

In the draft, the Sky also had the No. 3 overall selection, which it used to take former South Carolina center Kamilla Cardoso. Reese said she's excited to play with the 6-foot-7 ex-Gamecock, with whom she forged a rivalry in a pair of matchups during the 2023-2024 season

"There's no given spot," Reese said, "and I don't take this moment for granted and have it given to me. I need to go out there and earn my spot, and that's what I'm about."
The Sky will open its season May 15 with a road game against the Dallas Wings. Weatherspoon, a Louisiana Tech great, is beginning her first year as head coach of the Sky.