Angel Reese has been suspended by the Chicago Sky for a half game following comments she made about the team’s subpar season.
The struggling team made the decision to penalize their star player days after Reese spoke candidly about their struggles following a season in which they nearly made the playoffs. In the 2024 off-season, the Chicago Sky front office made the controversial decision to fire beloved WNBA head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and failed to resign their defensive star, Chennedy Carter. Reese, seemingly fed up with the large decline the Sky has taken since, spoke to the Chicago Tribune and had words for the team’s ownership.
“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese said. “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. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
Reese has previously expressed a need for stronger players to be added to the roster after a gutting off-season and with the added wound of an injury-ridden starting five. The team managed to edge out a win over the Connecticut Sky and the Chicago Barbie took the time to clear the air about her comments in the Tribune.
“I probably am frustrated with myself right now,” Reese said. “I think the language is probably taken out of context, and I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates because they’ve been through this with me the whole year. … I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued about what was said.”
Though the team’s current head coach Tyler Marsh told reporters that the issue had been handled internally, the Sky’s decision to bench Angel alongside its public announcement seemed to tell a different story.
“Because of 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,” the statement said, concluding that the Sky is “moving forward as a team.”
Reese has been the subject of relentless online trolling and racially-fueled hate since leading her former team, the Louisiana State University Lady Tigers, to a national championship over Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Wildcats in 2023. Many WNBA fans found the Sky’s announcement to be fuel to the ongoing firestorm of negativity thrown Reese’s way.
“Angel deals with so much hate online even for things she doesn’t say. Y’all have never protected her in any way! Why would you put something like this out if you claim it’s being handled internally?,” one user questioned under the organization’s post. “Why are you subjecting her to more online hate for simply advocating for better things for the organization? She’s your star player, the reason your tickets and merchandise sales are up. Literally the reason this organization is still relevant despite everything past players say about it.”
Another user commented,
“Smells like retaliation to me and I hope the WNBPA steps in. Standing always with Angel!”
Reese is in a three-year contract with the Midwest based team and can use her player option for free agency in 2027. It remains to be seen if she’ll spend the rest of her career in Chicago; however, it doesn’t seem likely. Plenty of teams could benefit from Reese’s domination in the post, ability to fill seats with her star power and her likability amongst other players. And we’re sure her fans will follow her wherever she ends up next.
