Chicago Sky brass and Angel Reese herself could say whatever they wanted to bounce around the subject this offseason. A trade appeared imminent for months, and anyone shocked at that aspect of the news on Monday morning is obtuse, at best.
That doesn’t mean the shockwaves are any less impactful for the Sky, a franchise consistently mired in controversy and drama, speeding into the spotlight of All-Star hosting duties this summer. And now they’re without their larger-than-life superstar while facing down yet another sticky rebuild situation.
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Hours into the 2026 WNBA free agency designation period, and about 12 hours after the official date was announced by the league amid the ongoing work on the collective bargaining agreement, the Sky dropped the first bombshell of what is shaping up to be a crazed three weeks.
They traded two-time All-Star and 2024 seventh overall draft pick Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. Atlanta also received the right to swap second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.
Reese began writing her own exit when she criticized the direction of the franchise in a September interview with the Chicago Tribune, telling them before the season ended she was “not settling for the same s*** next year.” She made more direct comments about veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot, who missed the majority of last season with an ACL tear.
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That’s a no-no in general. Players load post-game comments with talk of protecting the locker room, and that wasn’t it. But it’s especially egregious when Vandersloot spent most of her career in Chicago and led them to an underdog championship that overshadowed the front-office issues and general franchise apathy. Reese was suspended for “statements detrimental to the team” and did not play the final three games for what the Sky said was a back injury.
It doesn’t quite matter if one agrees or disagrees with that situation in general. It happened, and neither side could or wanted to recover from the relationship damage. When asked in December if she would return to the Sky, Reese tiptoed around it by saying she is “under contract.” Sky front-office personnel have similarly danced around the issue, and continued to do so on Monday.
“This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a release, another step-around comment pointing toward chemistry rather than a well-rounded roster.
Reese might be the better for it. She said in that same 2025 interview she’s “willing and wanting to play with the best.” The third-year forward with a nose for rebounding will now (likely*) pair with All-Stars Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, both of whom might have foreshadowed the news in previous social media comments.
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*Although basically everyone is a free agent, so buckle up, who knows!
The Dream’s first season under head coach Karl Smesko resulted in the most productive offense in franchise history, and with Reese roaming the paint to pass out to shooters, it could best that mark. After a first-round exit, they could be a Finals favorite even though the trade itself didn’t immediately move their odds at BetMGM.
Adding one of the game’s biggest draws to the fold could also allow the Dream to move more games out of its 5,000-seat Gateway Center Arena and into State Farm Arena. The Dream are one of the few independently owned teams separate from NBA ownership, and rent space when moving games there. But they’ve done it for matchups they know will be worth it, such as Caitlin Clark’s Fever coming to town and the season-opener against the championship Las Vegas Aces.
That’s an issue to watch for the Dream moving forward, but one further down the concern list than the Sky in general.
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Chicago is now back to mini-square one. After the announcement that the Connecticut Sun will relocate to Houston under co-NBA ownership, the Sky are dangerously close to becoming the sole joke of the league. Players have never been quiet about the state of the franchise, from previously practicing in a local gym to annual exoduses of superstars.
Candace Parker, who returned home to Chicago to win that title, and Kahleah Copper each left for more supportive situations. It stretches back more than a decade to newly elected Hall of Famer Elena Delle Donne asking out, eventually winning a title in Washington. Reese is simply the latest name in the list.
Ironically, the Sky are restocking draft picks years after they fumbled them away in poor trades. They have five first-round picks in the next three seasons, including this year’s No. 5 pick.
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They’ll look to try again, an overused phrase of the past decade, with second-year head coach and former Aces championship assistant Tyler Marsh. Kamilla Cardoso, a 6-foot-7 center and the Sky’s third overall pick in the same draft, is now the piece to build around. Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld are the only other players under contract.
That their practice facility is still unopened won’t sit kindly with the slew of free agents considering their next destinations. The WNBA draft features gems, but no clear diamonds this year. And the summer’s All-Star weekend, which has become big business, looms in the background.
What was supposed to be a celebration of the Sky with Reese as unofficial party host is now shaping up to be another Chicago opportunity gone wrong.
