In her first two seasons in the WNBA, Angel Reese made the All-Star team twice, and earned down-ballot MVP votes as a rookie. That didn’t stop the Chicago Sky from parting ways with the former LSU star.
Reese, 23, was traded to the Atlanta Dream on Monday, the team confirmed.
The Sky traded Reese and the right to swap second-round draft picks with Atlanta in 2028, the team confirmed. In exchange for Reese, the Sky received the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The team also thanked Reese for her contributions in Chicago.
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Reese also confirmed the news, calling it an “Angel’s dream” to play for Atlanta.
Since joining the WNBA, Reese has performed like an elite player. As a rookie, she averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, earning a trip to the All-Star Game, finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting and earning MVP votes.
She was arguably even better in her second year, averaging 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. After receiving criticism for her shooting ability, Reese increased her two-point field-goal percentage from .400 to .478 in her second season. She remained a menace on the glass, still pulling down rebounds at an exceptional rate. That performance earned Reese another trip to the All-Star Game.
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But her time in Chicago was not without controversy. Reese was suspended by the Sky for a half after making what the team deemed comments that were “detrimental to the team.”
A few days before the suspension, Reese was critical of the team and its players, saying, “I’m not settling for the same s*** we did this year.” She later added, “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”
She later apologized, saying her comments were misconstrued and that she never meant to put down her teammates.
Reese was also suspended around that same time after picking up her eighth technical foul in the regular season. Under WNBA rules, she was required to miss one game for accruing that many technicals.
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While Reese has put up strong numbers, she hasn’t done much winning in the WNBA. The Sky went 23-61 over the past two seasons.
The Dream didn’t fare so well in 2024, but experienced a breakout season in 2025. New head coach Karl Smesko and the additions of Brionna Jones and Brittney Griner pushed the team to 30-14, earning it the top record in the Eastern Conference.
After a tremendous regular season, the Dream fell to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs. It will be up to Reese to prove she’s a piece capable of sending the team on a lengthy playoff run in 2026.