The post Sky’s Angel Reese issues public apology to teammates after free agency demand appeared first on ClutchPoints.
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese, after making critical remarks about the franchise’s future, including blunt comments on free agency, roster construction, and coaching, has issued a public apology to her teammates following backlash across the WNBA community.
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Reese led Chicago to its largest win of the season on Wednesday, an 88-64 blowout of the Connecticut Sun. She finished with 18 points, 13 rebounds, 4 assists, and 4 steals. After the game, she addressed her earlier remarks.
“I probably am frustrated [with] myself right now,” Reese said in the postgame news conference. “I think the language is taken out of context. I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates, because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year. They’ve busted their ass, just like I’ve busted my ass. They’ve showed up for me through thick and thin, and in the locker room when nobody could see anything.
“So I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued about what was said. And I just have to be better with my language. Because I know it’s not the message, it’s the messenger. And understanding what I say can be taken any kind of way. So I just have to really be better and grow from this.”
The controversy began when the Chicago Tribune published an interview earlier in the day in which Reese openly questioned the team’s direction following another losing season. The Sky sit at 10-30, missing the playoffs for a second straight year and going 3-15 since the All-Star break.
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“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese told the Tribune. “I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
Reese’s remarks included direct concerns about Chicago’s roster, particularly at point guard after veteran Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL in June. She also said backups Rachel Banham and Hailey Van Lith were not prepared to lead a playoff team, while urging the front office to be aggressive in acquiring elite players.
“I’m not settling for the same s**t we did this year,” Reese told the Tribune. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
Her comments reportedly upset several teammates, leading to a planned team meeting, according to Front Office Sports. Head coach Tyler Marsh, in his first year after replacing Teresa Weatherspoon, confirmed he spoke privately with Reese before Wednesday’s game against the Sun but declined to share details.
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Angel Reese also picked up her eighth technical foul of the season late in the second quarter. Under WNBA rules, that would normally trigger an automatic suspension for Friday’s game against the Indiana Fever unless the league rescinds the call.
Reese, averaging 14.7 points and a WNBA-leading 12.6 rebounds per game, is in the second season of her rookie contract, which carries a team option through 2027. Whether her blunt demands push Chicago toward an aggressive free agency remains to be seen, but her message was unambiguous. The Sky cannot stand still if they hope to return to contention.
Related: Sky’s Angel Reese facing potential suspension after incident vs. Sun
