“I wanted to get 3”: Angel Reese reveals she wanted Candace Parker’s number amid retirement

Angel Reese was taken by the Chicago Sky with the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft and is gearing up for her first season in the league. Part of those preparations included choosing a jersey number, which was not an easy choice for her.

Reese wore No. 10 while at LSU. However, that number was already taken by the Sky’s No. 3 pick, South Carolina star Kamilla Cardoso.

Angel Reese almost went with her second choice for the jersey number, but she hit a roadblock there as well. Reese desired No. 3, but that belonged to former Chicago Sky legend Candace Parker, who may have the number retired by the Sky soon after she announced her retirement on Sunday.

In a video uploaded on X, Reese revealed her admiration for the WNBA great.

“I have always watched Candace Parker,” Reese said. “She has been an amazing player, she is a big guard, I always admired her. When I came here since I couldn’t get 10 I wanted to get 3 but, I thought wait Candace is going to get her jersey retired very soon.

“I knew she was going to get her jersey retired very soon because she is an amazing player. She has always been super inspiring to me.”

Parker is a three-time WNBA champion and is considered one of the best in league history. She retired after winning another WNBA title with the Las Vegas Aces last season. She spent most of her career with the LA Sparks but played in Chicago for two seasons. She won a title with all three WNBA teams she played for.

Reese had to settle for her third choice of jersey number. She will rock No. 5 for the Chicago Sky this season. Her jersey can be purchased online at Fanatics.

Candace Parker, 38, announced her retirement Sunday through a social media post on Instagram. A Tennessee standout, she was drafted No. 1 by the Sparks in 2008.

When is Angel Reese’s first WNBA game?

Angel Reese is one of the headliners in the star-studded 2024 WNBA rookie class and will lead the Chicago Sky into the 2024 season.

Reese will star alongside her former SEC rival Kamilla Cardoso, whom the Sky drafted with the third overall pick in this year’s draft.

The Sky also signed Diamond DeShields this offseason to bolster their roster. Marina Mabrey returns after averaging 15.0 ppg last season.

Angel Reese will make her WNBA debut in the Sky’s first game of 2024-25 on May 15, as the Sky travel to the Dallas Wings to open the season. The game will tipoff at 8 p.m. ET.

Reese will make her televised debut in the following matchup on May 18. That game will air on NBA TV and will be another contest between Chicago and Dallas in Texas.

Reese will be one of the young stars to watch this season. Her college rival from Iowa, Caitlin Clark, who was selected No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA draft, will be another big-name rookie drawing audiences to the league this summer.