WNBA SUPERSTAR Angel Reese’s future with the Chicago Sky looks increasingly uncertain following the end of the WNBA regular season.
She did not feature in the Sky‘s final game of the season citing a back injury, and the Chicago outfit will not be featuring in the postseason.
Angel Reese could be nearing an ugly breakup with the Chicago Sky[/caption]
Reese did not play the last four games of the season, including serving a suspension for detrimental comments[/caption]
Now the Maryland native is expected by many to make a switch in the off-season, following an ugly spat with the team last week.
The 23-year-old was suspended for the first-half of the Sky’s 80-66 loss against the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday for “statements detrimental to the team.”
The move followed incendiary statements the forward made towards the club’s management in an interview with the Chicago Tribune at the start of the month.
She said: “I’m not settling for the same s**t we did this year,
“We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.
“We can’t settle for what we have this year.”
The comments clearly struck a nerve with the club’s higher-ups, who released a statement in response announcing her half-game suspension.
The statement read: “We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball.
“Because of the statements detrimental to the team made by Angel Reese during league-mandated media, she will not play in the first half of the game on September 7 against the Las Vegas Aces.”
However, Reese has not featured in the two games since the suspension, and was ineligible for the prior game against the Indiana Fever due to a suspension for accumulating eight technical fouls.
That makes it four-straight games without an appearance for the All-Star heading into the season’s end.
In the same interview, Reese fuelled speculation of a potential trade when she opened the door to the possibility of an exit from the team.
She said: “I am very vocal about what we need and what I want.”
“I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me.”
The comments in tandem with her absence have even led some to speculate that Reese is deliberately sitting out the games following her suspension while waiting for a trade in the off-season.
Reese is a two-time All-Star and boasts over 5million followers on Instagram[/caption]
The Sky’s general manager Jeff Pagliocca claimed in response to the rumours that Reese would remain a player with the team “until I hear differently”.
However, it is difficult to imagine how the relationship could improve from here, and a trade looks increasingly likely.
The Sky finished last in the WNBA Eastern Conference this year, winning just 10 games of their 44 in the competition.
It is their second season in a row without a postseason appearance, marking a sharp decline from their Championship glory just four years ago.
And it would only get worse if they do end up losing Reese, who has become a two-time All-Star and one of the league’s biggest names since being drafted seventh overall in 2024.
