The Chicago Sky stumbled to a 10-34 season, tied for the worst record in the WNBA. Now, after the team told the media that Angel Reese, Courtney Vandersloot, and Ariel Atkins would conduct their exit interviews at a later date, they actually won't happen at all.
The Sky cancelled the traditional end-of-year media availability for the trio — three of the most recognizable faces on the team.
Exit interviews are voluntary, so the players are under no obligation to participate and will face no punishment from the league. It will also leave Sky fans in the dark on what their stars think happened with what was supposed to be a far better year.
Chicago came up two games short of the playoffs last season, but returned one of the league's brightest young stars in Reese and added Vandersloot, a veteran presence with a championship pedigree, and Atkins, who established herself as one of the league's elite guards in her time with the Washington Mystics.
Despite that, they won three fewer games in 2025, even with a schedule that was four games longer.
The future of the Sky franchise remains cloudy
The biggest question surrounding the Sky as the offseason approaches is what the future holds for Reese.
The good news for her is that if it doesn't work out with Chicago, there's no shortage of teams that would want her services. After a historic rookie season, she showed significant improvement in the most-criticized area of her game — finishing at the rim. Though her field goal percentage only climbed by 6.7% compared to last year, she was basically a 50% shooter from the field after the first month of the season.
Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca insists she will be back with the team in 2026, even after she was suspended for comments she made to the Chicago Tribune, calling out members of her team. She apologized publicly, but the Sky fanbase seems to be fed up with the direction of the franchise, bringing signs to games saying “Free Angel” and “Sell the team,” according to ESPN.
Meanwhile, the general belief around the WNBA is that the Sky have lagged behind other teams in terms of investment and resources, though Pagliocca told ESPN he is committed to changing that perception.
