Caitlin Clark Returns To Iowa, Angel Reese To LSU In WNBA Preseason

Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark are set to play on their college courts for the first time since joining the WNBA, as the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever announced preseason games against the Brazilian national team at Louisiana State University on May 2 and the University of Iowa on May 4.

This will be Reese’s first time back at Pete Maravich Assembly Center, where she helped lead LSU to the 2023 NCAA championship. Clark has visited her alma mater before and will have her jersey retired Feb. 2 at Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

“I’m very excited the Sky will play a preseason game at LSU,” said Reese in a statement. “It will be amazing to return to Baton Rouge, a community that means so much to me. 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!”

 

Brazilian connections

The Sky and Fever have Brazilian players on their rosters, most notably Kamilla Cardoso, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft by Chicago. Per league rules, a player cannot compete against the team she is under contract with, meaning Cardoso will face her home country in at least one of the exhibitions. The same rule applies to Damiris Dantas, a 6-foot-3 forward with the fever.

 

“Brazil has played such an important role in my life and has shaped the person I am today,” said Cardoso. “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.”

Pokey Chatman, the Brazilian national team head coach, was an LSU standout and later returned as an assistant coach in 1997 before being promoted to head coach in 2004. Today, she is an assistant coach and associate general manager for the Seattle Storm.

 

Iowa freshman Aaliyah Guyton, who is averaging 6.2 points per game on 47.9% shooting, represented Brazil in the 2021 FIBA Under-16 Women’s Americas Championship. She is the daughter of Adriana Moisés Pinto, a five-time Olympian with Brazil who played 43 games with the Phoenix Mercury between 2001 and 2007.

 

Benefits for all involved

The games will benefit the WNBA, the Brazilian Federation, and the franchises involved in different ways.

For the league, it will be an opportunity to showcase its product in front of passionate fans. The Iowa Hawkeyes broke the NCAA single-game attendance record with 55,646 fans in an exhibition on Oct. 15, 2023, the first women’s basketball game played outdoors in a football stadium.

LSU ranked fifth in attendance among NCAA women’s basketball programs during the 2022–23 season.

For the Brazilian national team, the games offer a chance to practice against players from the highest-regarded league in the world, a much-needed experience as they look to qualify for major international tournaments. Brazil has not competed in an event outside the Americas since earning an automatic spot at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

“This is a great way to kick off our journey to Los Angeles as we continue working to elevate Brazilian women’s basketball on the international stage and give our athletes more global experience. It’s an incredible opportunity in every sense,” said CBB President Guy Peixoto Jr.

For the Fever and Sky, these preseason matchups offer a unique opportunity to build chemistry, evaluate talent, and expand their reach ahead of the 2024 WNBA season. With both teams featuring exciting young stars and passionate fan bases, these games will not only showcase their growth but also reinforce the league’s commitment to global engagement. As the WNBA continues to expand its influence, events like these highlight its role in elevating the women’s game on an international stage.

 

 

For the latest news and breaking news, visit sportzonenews