04/12/2025
"Little Sky: Aaliyah's Big Dream"
Five-year-old Aaliyah stood in the middle of her tiny backyard in Chicago, clutching a basketball almost half her size. The ball bounced awkwardly on the cracked pavement, but Aaliyah didn’t care. She was wearing her favorite jersey—number 5 for the Chicago Sky—and a big, toothy grin.
Every day after preschool, Aaliyah would race home, throw her backpack on the floor, and ask, “Can I go outside and play like Angel Reese now?” Her mom always nodded, already knowing what was coming next.
Aaliyah had first seen Angel Reese on TV one summer evening. Her long braids flying as she soared across the court, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds, and pointing to her ring finger with fierce confidence. From that moment on, Aaliyah didn’t just want to play basketball—she wanted to be just like Angel.
“Angel’s tall and strong, but she still looks like a queen,” Aaliyah told her mom once. “And she’s not afraid of nobody!”
Even though Aaliyah was still learning to dribble without losing the ball every third bounce, she imagined the crowd cheering every time she made a basket on her little hoop. She called her pretend team "The Mini Skies" and gave herself a nickname: Lil’ Reese.
One Saturday, her mom surprised her with tickets to a Chicago Sky game. As they walked into the roaring stadium, Aaliyah’s eyes lit up. When Angel Reese ran onto the court, Aaliyah shouted her name louder than anyone in the arena.
At halftime, kids were invited down to the court for a mini clinic. Aaliyah’s hands trembled as she lined up. She looked up—and there she was. Angel Reese, smiling down at her.
“What’s your name, little baller?” Angel asked.
“Aaliyah,” she whispered, starstruck.
“Well, Aaliyah,” Angel said, crouching to her level, “I see a whole lotta greatness in you. You keep hoopin’ and stay confident, okay?”
Aaliyah nodded, eyes wide and heart pounding.
From that day on, her backyard games had a little more bounce. Her shots arched a little higher. And every time she missed, she picked the ball back up and said to herself, “Angel told me I got greatness.”
And just like that, a little girl named Aaliyah kept chasing her dreams—