Angel Reese was once the heart and soul of Chicago. Called the Chi-Town Barbie, she gave the Sky fans hope of a revival from the dark days. But what started as a destined partnership ended with a sour finale. Reese grew tired of the ownership in 2025. She left the franchise this year via a trade on mutual terms and went to the Atlanta Dream. Now, she once again returns to the place that drafted her.
In April, Reese played in Chicago as a visitor in a preseason matchup, with a mid-game tribute and a ‘thank you’ at the end. The crowd gave her a standing ovation when she arrived. This time around, Chicago decided to keep things competitive on her return, as reported by Colin Salao from Front Office Sports.
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A franchise spokesperson told FOS that the team wouldn’t air a tribute video as they had done in April.
As for Reese, despite things being rather grey between her and the Sky ownership, she had nothing but good things to say about her return to Chi-Town.
“Yeah, I’m excited to be back,” Reese said in an interview with ‘WNBA Countdown’ on Tuesday. “A lot of great things did happen here. I got drafted here, and I have a lot of great memories here. So, it’s always good to see familiar faces, but I’m here with the Dream this time, and I’m excited to be with them.”
Reese and Sky owe a lot to each other. Drafting Angel Reese at No. 7 gave the Sky more relevance than ever before. It spiked their popularity across the country as Reese evolved into a global superstar. The Sky attendance went up by approximately 40% as crowds arrived to watch Reese.
When it comes to on-court exploits, Reese was the most impactful player when she was on the team. She finished second in the Rookie Of The Year race while becoming the fastest to 500 points and 500 rebounds. So, despite the immense importance of Reese to Chicago, the cancellation of her tribute seems to be a sign that the franchise wants to keep things competitive.
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On the other hand, the young star also received an opportunity to grow as a player and a leader at the Sky. Reese received the opportunity that she might not have received on other teams.
“To the city of Chicago, you showed me real love from day one,” Reese said in the goodbye montage. “Thank you, Chicago. Always Chi-Town Barbie.”
She is still loved by the Chicago crowd. Reese connected with the fans in Chicago upon her return, and she now plans to do the same in Atlanta.
Angel Reese plans to replicate her Chicago off-court heroics in Atlanta
Angel Reese is a basketball superstar, an actor, and a model. But those were just a few of the reasons Chicago loved her. It was her attitude off the court and her gratitude towards the crowd that helped her connect with the crowd. Along with that, Reese was an active member of the community, contributing to multiple philanthropic projects with her Angel C. Reese Foundation. Now, she plans to do the same in Atlanta.
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“I think it’s important to be able to make an impact beyond basketball. I mean, a lot of people do know me as a basketball player, but also much more,” Reese said. “I want to be able to give back to the community as much as I can. I gave a lot to Chicago as far as putting a basketball court here.
“Hopefully, can do another thing like that in Atlanta and also win a championship there. I think that also makes it even better when you’re winning. So, I think it’s just important to give back to so many young kids.”
In Chicago, Reese held a backpack giveaway for kids, distributing 2000 backpacks during a drive. She also built a new community court in Oakwood Beach with Cash App, Project Backboard, and her foundation.
Reese also held a toy giveaway for the kids in Chicago. Now, she will continue to do something similar in Atlanta.
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