It sounds like Angel Reese isn\u2019t going anywhere\u2014at least for now.<\/p>\n
On Friday, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said<\/a>, \u201cuntil I hear differently, that\u2019s the direction we\u2019re going to move, is that she\u2019s on the roster,\u201d according to Alexa Philippou at ESPN. <\/p>\n The relationship between Reese and the Sky was already seemingly unsteady, and hit truly rocky waters over the final two weeks of the WNBA regular season. After Reese made comments critical of her team<\/a> in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, the Sky elected to suspend Reese for the first half<\/a> of Sunday\u2019s game against the Aces. Reese, who was also dealing with an injury, did not take the floor in the second half of that game, or in the team\u2019s season finale on Thursday night<\/a>.<\/p>\n Reese was courtside for the Sky\u2019s final game of the season, and received a resounding welcome<\/a> from the Chicago crowd. A fan with a \u201cFree Angel\u201d shirt<\/a> made some news on social media when sitting courtside for the Sky\u2019s 91\u201386 loss to the Liberty..<\/p>\n Given the clear strain between Reese and the Sky\u2019s front office, it felt as though we may have seen the last of the young star\u2019s time in Chicago. But per Pagliocca, the goal is to work through the rough patch.<\/p>\n \u201cAngel is an ascending young talent in this league who\u2019s had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago,\u201d Pagliocca said Friday, per ESPN. \u201cObviously we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates, she spoke publicly. We moved on as a team. She\u2019s a special player. And I have good conversations with Angel daily, with her team daily. They\u2019re constant, and they\u2019re productive.\u201d<\/p>\n The comments Reese made that started this latest strife between her and the team<\/a> included calls for the squad to renew its roster heading into the 2026 season.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019m not settling for the same s— we did this year,\u201d Reese told the\u00a0Chicago Tribune’s\u00a0Julia Poe. \u201cWe have to get good players. We have to get great players. That\u2019s a non-negotiable for me. … I think the priority is being able to convince [free agents] that this is an organization that is going in the right direction.\u201d<\/p>\n