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ESPN’s Michael Voepel predicted that Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese will not return for the remainder of the 2025 WNBA season in a recent article outlining bold projections for the final month of league play.
Reese, 23, has been sidelined since July 29, when the Sky lost 103–86 to the Washington Mystics. She is recovering from a back injury and has not suited up since that contest. In her sophomore season, the former LSU standout has averaged 14.2 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field across 23 appearances.
Voepel cited the Sky’s current position in the standings as a factor that could discourage Reese from returning this season.
“But there's likely less incentive for Reese, who last played on July 29, to return,” Voepel wrote. “The Sky (8-24) aren't going to be a playoff team; considering their loss to Connecticut on Wednesday, they might even drop behind the Sun (6-26) for the league's worst record.”
The Sky have struggled to maintain consistency throughout the year, and the team’s focus may now shift toward offseason preparation and player development as the regular season winds down.
ESPN predicts Sky’s Angel Reese won’t return, while Caitlin Clark could come back for Fever
Reese’s injury halted a breakout year for the Chicago forward, who was selected to her second All-Star Game earlier this summer and named the WNBA Edition cover athlete for NBA 2K26, set to release on Sept. 5. Her performance has remained a bright spot in an otherwise difficult season for the franchise.
In the same ESPN feature, Voepel predicted that Indiana Fever All-Star guard Caitlin Clark will return before the end of the season. Clark, who has not played since the Fever’s 85–77 win over the Connecticut Sun on July 15, has also been out due to a groin injury. Despite her absence, Indiana has remained in playoff contention.
“Unless the bottom completely falls out, the Fever will be in the playoffs for the second year in a row after a seven-season absence,” Voepel wrote. “Clark has played just 13 games, the last on July 15… But if she's deemed physically ready to come back, it could give Indiana more of a chance to win a playoff series.”
Clark is averaging 16.5 points, 8.8 assists, five rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game while shooting 36.7% from the field in her second season. The Fever (18–15) currently sit 3.5 games behind the Atlanta Dream (21–11) for the top spot in the WNBA standings and trail the New York Liberty (21–12) by three games for second in the Eastern Conference.
As of now, neither the Chicago Sky nor the Indiana Fever have issued official updates or timelines for the return of their respective stars.
With only a handful of regular season games remaining, the status of Reese and Clark remains one of the most closely watched developments as the league heads toward the postseason.
