Sky fall: How Angel Reese has been pushed to her restrict in two seasons and what’s subsequent in Chicago

On Thursday night time, the Chicago Sky misplaced to the New York Liberty, 91-86, to finish their season with a 10-34 file and with no playoff berth for the second 12 months in a row. The scoreline does not come near telling the complete story. 

The sport marked the top to an embarrassing night time following a tumultuous week that capped off a disastrous 2025 marketing campaign for the franchise. 

Angel Reese, the face of the Sky and one of many brightest younger stars within the league, spent the sport on the bench in avenue garments. She barely performed after she gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune earlier this month questioning the competency of the Sky entrance workplace and the expertise of her teammates, and placing strain on the group to make vital modifications throughout the offseason.

Her quotes brought on a firestorm, however she apologized publicly to her teammates after the feedback have been revealed, and it is clear a lot of the followers have forgiven her. All through Thursday’s recreation, followers crammed Wintrust Area with chants of “Free Angel” and “Hearth Jeff,” referring to Sky basic supervisor Jeff Pagliocca.

As the opposite lottery groups sit up for offseasons spent constructing round their younger stars, the Sky are left questioning if it is in any respect attainable to salvage the connection with theirs. Reese will not be innocent within the state of affairs, however the Sky group has clearly fallen behind the remainder of the league by way of funding, and it has a historical past of unfixable disputes with its most outstanding gamers.

It’s extremely attainable that “Chi Barbie” has performed her final recreation with the Sky. And the group’s house owners have no person accountable however themselves.

Reese’s feedback

The damage report mentioned that Reese did not play in the previous few video games of the season as a consequence of a again damage. It is attainable that she actually was bodily incapable of taking the courtroom. However even when the damage is actual, it is also metaphorical. Two seasons in Chicago have taken their toll, mentally and bodily.

Reese has been vocally supportive of the Sky all through her tenure, and refused to publicly criticize them for issues like an absence of a coaching facility. However she lastly opened as much as the Tribune about her frustrations. 

“I’m very vocal about what we want and what I need,” she mentioned. “I might prefer to be right here for my profession, but when issues do not pan out, clearly I may need to maneuver in a unique course and do what’s greatest for me. However whereas I’m right here, I’ll attempt to keep open-minded about what I’ve right here and maximize that as a lot as I can.”

Reese mentioned she needed the group to be very energetic in free company to get assist for her and fellow massive Kamilla Cardoso, who she feels is the one different key piece on the present roster.

“I am not settling for a similar shit we did this 12 months,” Reese mentioned. “We now have to get good gamers. We now have to get nice gamers. That is a non-negotiable for me. I am prepared and eager to play with the most effective. And nevertheless I will help to get the most effective right here, that is what I am going to do that offseason. So it should be very, essential this offseason to ensure we appeal to the most effective of the most effective as a result of we will not accept what now we have this 12 months.”

Her most controversial feedback — and those that most likely brought on probably the most strife within the locker room — have been about her lack of religion in 36-year-old level guard and franchise legend Courtney Vandersloot, who tore her ACL earlier within the season.

“We won’t depend on Courtney to come back again on the age that she’s at. I do know she’ll be an amazing asset for us, however we will not depend on that. We’d like somebody, most likely a bit youthful with some expertise, any person who’s been enjoying the sport and is prepared to compete for a championship and has achieved it earlier than,” she mentioned.

It is comprehensible that her teammates have been upset by these feedback, because it’s uncommon for a participant to provide such a essential interview on-the-record, particularly throughout a season. However, as talked about above, she instantly publicly apologized to her teammates. And but, the Sky determined to publicly punish her anyway, suspending her for one half of a recreation for “conduct detrimental to the group” whereas issuing a weird assertion about security.

“The Chicago Sky values the security, respect, and well-being of each participant,” the group mentioned in a press release. “We’re dedicated to accountability so our gamers can keep centered on enjoying basketball. This matter has been dealt with and resolved internally, and we’re shifting ahead as a group.”

Group malfeasance

Reese’s feedback have been surprisingly frank and possibly ill-advised as a teammate. However in addition they weren’t incorrect. In actual fact, throughout his exit interview on Friday afternoon, Pagliocca himself admitted that the Sky wanted to enhance their roster within the offseason and particularly get assist for Vandersloot on the level guard place.

The fact is, the Sky group has failed Reese the previous two years. And regardless of its 2021 title, the group has been failing all of its gamers in a mess of the way for a lot longer. 

The group nonetheless practices in a public recreation facility within the Chicago suburbs, although a team-specific coaching facility is lastly on the best way. Candace Parker famously famous that she did not have her personal locker when she performed for the Sky. It was one of many final organizations within the league to separate the final supervisor place from the coach place, solely hiring its first standalone GM, Pagliocca, in 2023. And Pagliocca hasn’t been making a robust impression his first two years.

This previous offseason, he made a commerce which may change into one of many worst trades in WNBA historical past, sending the No. 3 total decide within the 2025 draft, a 2027 second-round decide, and swap rights for the Sky’s 2027 first-round decide to the Washington Mystics for Ariel Atkins. That No. 3 decide was Sonia Citron, who turned an All-Star in her rookie season and appears to have a future as a perennial All-WNBA expertise. Atkins — who, in her protection, is a two-time All-Star, Olympian, and WNBA champion — had an injury-plagued season that noticed her carry out properly beneath her peak, and he or she’s now a free agent, whereas the Mystics have Citron for an additional three cost-controlled years.

The Sky additionally did not essentially make a great impression with Reese once they fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, with whom Reese was very shut, after just one season. Or when Paggliocca himself took the mic earlier this season to publicly chastise Reese’s play. 

However this can be a drawback that goes properly past Pagliocca. In 2015, Sylvia Fowles compelled her manner out of Chicago by refusing to signal an extension and sitting out a part of the season as a result of she was pissed off with how the franchise was constructing round her and felt with a purpose to accomplish her targets, she wanted to be elsewhere. She was finally traded to the Minnesota Lynx in July, the place she went on to win the MVP and two championships. Two years later Elena Delle Donne additionally compelled her manner out of Chicago with comparable considerations; she was traded to the Washington Mystics, the place she went on to win her second MVP award and the 2019 WNBA championship.

If issues are actually going to enhance in Chicago, it should have to occur on the possession degree. The Sky have been owned by businessman Michael Alter since its debut in 2006.

What’s subsequent?

Reese will not be a free agent this offseason, so she does not have as a lot management over her instant future. She has yet one more 12 months left on her contract with the Sky, after which there is a group possibility for her fourth season. So any change would want to come back within the type of a commerce.

Solely time will inform if Reese will publicly request a commerce, if the Sky determine to honor that request, or if the 2 sides discover widespread floor and mend fences.

In his exit interview, Pagliocca praised Reese’s on-court progress this season.

“I believe we noticed a lot new and a lot good out of her this season in comparison with final 12 months. She was in a position to construct on the success she had. We noticed her as a facilitator, we noticed her enjoying in area, we noticed her put the ball on the ground. Percentages have been up in various classes, discovering consistency together with her capturing within the mid-range, going through up, uh, decide and pop from the 3-point line, and simply persevering with to make use of her deal with to get to areas and play in tighter areas, Pagliocca mentioned.

“She’s confirmed that she is usually a very harmful mismatch, and she will pull bigs out onto the perimeter, and he or she’s acquired loads of weapons that she was in a position to showcase much more this season.”

When requested in regards to the drama of the previous week, and Reese mentioning that she may not have a future with the Sky, Pagliocca indicated that for now, publicly at the least, the plan is to maneuver ahead collectively.

“Angel’s an ascending younger expertise on this league who’s had two very, superb seasons right here in Chicago. Clearly, you already know, we went via what we did. I really feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates, she spoke publicly. We moved on as a group, he mentioned. 

“She’s a particular participant, and I’ve good conversations with Angel each day, together with her group each day. They’re fixed and so they’re productive and till I hear in another way, that is the course we’re gonna transfer, is that she’s on the roster.”