Sky coach explains why Angel Reese did not play in second half after first-half suspension vs. Aces

Chicago Sky star Angel Reese was only suspended for the first half of her team’s 80-66 loss to the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, but ended up sitting out of the entire game. The Sky announced that Reese was dealing with a back injury, which coach Tyler Marsh said she noted during pre-game warm-ups. 

“She reported it to us during pre-game, and so in conjunction with the medical staff we wanted to be as cautious as possible,” Marsh said. 

Reese missed 10 games with a back injury earlier this season, but returned to action on Aug. 19 and had played in every game since then up until Friday, when she was suspended for accumulating too many technical fouls. Marsh said that Reese “wants to be out there” for the Sky’s final two games, but the team will “gauge [her status] day-by-day.” 

Reese’s back flare up capped off a chaotic week for the second-year star. 

Early on Wednesday, the Chicago Tribune published an interview with Reese in which she aired her frustrations with the front office, coaching staff and roster construction. She called for major moves in free agency and hinted at leaving when her contract is up in 2027 if she doesn’t see the changes she wants. 

“I’m not settling for the same shit we did this year,” Reese said. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”

In addition, Reese made comments about specific teammates, most notably veteran point guard and franchise icon Courtney Vandersloot, who has been sidelined since June 7 with a torn ACL. 

“We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at,” Reese said. “I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that. We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”

Marsh said that the Sky would handle the situation “in-house.” 

Later on Wednesday, Reese picked up her eighth technical foul of the season for hitting Aaliyah Edwards in the head during a box out situation in the Sky’s win over the Connecticut Sun. 

Following the win over the Sun, Reese apologized to her teammates and said that her comments were “taken out of context.” 

“I don’t think I’m frustrated. I probably am frustrated with myself right now,” Reese said. “I think the language is taken out of context and I really didn’t mean to to put down my teammates because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year. They’ve busted their ass just how I busted my ass, they showed up for me through thick and thin, and in the locker room when nobody could see anything. 

“So I would apologize to my teammates, which I already have about the article and how it was misconstrued about what was said. I just have to be better with my language because I know it’s not the message it’s the messenger and understanding what I say can be taken any kind of way. So I just have to really be better and grow from this.”

On Thursday, the WNBA announced that Reese would be suspended for the Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever on Friday, an eventual 97-77 loss. Under WNBA rules, a player or coach is automatically suspended without pay for one game upon receiving an eighth technical foul during the regular season. The previous limit was seven technicals, but the league increased it to eight this season with the jump to a 44-game schedule. 

On Friday, prior to the loss to the Fever, the Sky announced that Reese would be suspended for the first half of the team’s game against the Aces on Sunday “because of statements detrimental to the team.” 

On Saturday, an interview Vandersloot gave to the Sky’s broadcast team prior to the game against the Sun surfaced online. In the interview, Vandersloot responded to Reese’s comments about her age and said that she would return to Chicago next season. 

“Contrary to what people say or think, my age is absolutely not a factor. I am coming back,” the 36-year-old Vandersloot said. “I’m gonna come back better than ever because that’s what I’ve done. I’ve put myself in the position to come back and compete at this age.”

The 10-32 Sky have two games remaining in their disappointing campaign: Tuesday at Las Vegas and Thursday at home against the New York Liberty. It’s unclear if Reese will suit up in either game due to her back issue.