Big Angel Reese update adds fuel to Sky trade speculation fire originally appeared on The Sporting News
The Chicago Sky have not played basketball in nearly two weeks, but drama continues to envelop the franchise nonetheless.
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The future of All-Star forward Angel Reese hangs in the balance, as the potential franchise cornerstone’s comments about the Sky’s direction merited her a one-half suspension against the Las Vegas Aces on Sept. 7 and prompted discord in a locker room dominated by veteran personalities Ariel Atkins and Courtney Vandersloot.
MORE:Â Angel Reese’s Sky career may end with a whimper instead of a bang
Front Office Sports’ Annie Costabile on Monday reported that Atkins, Reese and Vandersloot will not conduct traditional exit interviews with the media this year after all. The Sky previously had indicated that these three players would hold exit interviews separately from the rest of their teammates — who spoke to the media on Sept. 12, the day after the regular season ended.
Vandersloot missed much of the 2025 season with a torn ACL, and Reese took on “point forward” duties in the two-time WNBA champion’s absence. Reese also ruffled Vandersloot’s feathers by implying that the five-time All-Star was too old to contribute effectively, something the 36-year-old disputed publicly earlier this month.
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The Sky paid a heavy price to acquire Atkins from the Washington Mystics in February, parting with the #3 overall pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to bring in the two-time All-Star. That pick became Sonia Citron, who finished runner-up to Paige Bueckers in Rookie of the Year voting and appears to be the kind of slashing, creative guard who would thrive next to Reese in Chicago.
The exit interview reversal potentially points to significant developments regarding these three players. General manager Jeff Pagliocca previously indicated that a healthy Vandersloot will have a role on Chicago’s 2026 team — but Reese, with significant trade value amid her unhappiness with the Sky organization, may not.
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