Reese and Cardoso were already familiar with each other before arriving in the WNBA. Cardoso starred at South Carolina, where she earned Most Outstanding Player honors in the 2024 NCAA Tournament. Her Gamecocks defeated Iowa in the national championship game.

The league said: "The WNBA strongly condemns racism, hate, and discrimination in all forms — they have no place in our league or in society."

The Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, despite a relative lack of success, have both risen to prominence over the last two WNBA seasons. That is because their budding stars, Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, are two of the faces of the league.

The Chicago Sky began their 2025 WNBA season last Saturday with a challenging 93–58 loss to the Indiana Fever.