The Chicago Sky shocked the WNBA on Monday by trading away superstar Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream. Understandably, Sky fans were livid when they learned that their team traded away its best player one month before the regular season. New reporting suggests that Reese did not force her way out of Chicago after all.
ESPN's Alexa Philippou reported that Reese did not request a trade from Chicago before Monday's bombshell trade announcement.
“Sources told me and [ESPN's Kendra Andrews] Reese did not request a trade but the Sky worked closely with her team to find her a new home and that there was no contention between the two parties,” Philippou wrote on Monday. “Chicago is expected to be revamping its roster and to look completely different this season.”
On one hand, a potential Reese trade was in the card since the end of the 2025 season. Reese demanded that Chicago to add more talent, slyly suggesting she may want out if the front office did not act urgently this offseason.
Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca shut down those trade rumors back in September. But the team eventually decided to give Reese the fresh start she was looking for.
Now the future of the Sky is quite unclear. Chicago now has multiple first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, which could lay the foundation of the roster for years to come. But it will be painful to lose Reese's presence in the paint this season.
Meanwhile, the Dream are now poised to become a force in the Eastern Conference after adding Reese.
It will be exciting to see Reese face off against Chicago during the 2026 WNBA season.
