Angel Reese has predictably ruffled a few feathers with her latest comments.
The Chicago Sky star Reese called out the organization in a blunt interview this week. With the Sky sitting at 10-30 on the year (third-worst in the WNBA), Reese said in the interview that the team needed better players. Specifically, Reese cast doubt on 36-year-old Courtney Vandersloot’s ability to return from a torn ACL suffered in June and said that she did not believe teammates Rachel Banham and Hailey Van Lith were capable of leading the team.
Reese also criticized the job that Sky head coach Tyler Marsh was doing and noted that “I might have to move in a different direction” if things did not change in Chicago. You can read her full remarks here.
Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported on Wednesday that the entire Sky team has now seen Reese’s comments and that her teammates are unhappy about the direct attacks. Costabile also notes that the players are planning a team meeting in which they are expected to address Reese directly.
The 23-year-old Reese has undoubtedly been Chicago’s best player this season, leading the team in most statistical categories with 14.6 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game. But none of that has translated into success for the Sky, who have now gone three straight seasons of posting a losing record.
Chicago has long been viewed as a dysfunctional organization as well. Multiple ex-Sky stars ended up demanding trades from the team (such as Elena Delle Donne, Kahleah Copper, and Marina Mabrey), and Chicago also recently earned a dishonorable distinction in a poll of WNBA players.
Reese, who is in her second year with the Sky, is still under contract through 2027. But if improvements are not made soon, the two-time All-Star Reese may become the latest Chicago standout to try to force her way out.
