Most people have probably heard the news by now: the Chicago Sky are trading star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. After two years, the “Chi Barbie” era has ended. As a Chicago native who loves cheering for my hometown teams, I have to admit I hate how Reese’s time in the Chi ended.
The Sky picked Reese seventh overall in the 2024 draft. From Draft Day, she was determined to help Chicago win and maybe bring a championship, which would have been the franchise’s second. Angel brought her toughness and rebounding skills from LSU and made an immediate impact, even when the team’s record wasn’t anything to celebrate.
Every time I watched a game with Angel Reese playing, I saw fire and the desire to be the greatest. When she wasn’t playing due to an injury, the team’s competitiveness seemed to disappear instantly. According to Statmuse, last season, Chicago won one game without her and lost 13.
She brought tons of fans to the league who wanted her to win and be appreciated, but Chicago did the opposite as an organization. They failed to rally behind her during tough moments, like the ongoing cyberbullying she receives, and weirdly suspended her for half a game after she was honest about wanting to win and not being happy with the roster/lack of prominent players.
From growing their social media following to getting celebrities and high-profile public figures to show up at home and road games, Reese was the organization’s moneymaker. Now, things will look different.
So, Chicago Sky, what now?
I’ve seen how much Reese did for the Sky over the past two years, and her stats are wild. She led the team in points, rebounds, and assists per game (14.7 ppg, 12.6 rpg, and 3.6 apg) in 2025. She’s also a two-time WNBA All-Star, two-time rebounding leader, two-time peak performer, and made the WNBA All-Rookie Team.
So, what’s the plan, Chicago? Apparently, the team thinks this trade creates opportunities to build a better roster. In my opinion, it would’ve made more sense to build around her, Kamilla Cardoso, and Hailey Van Lith.
For the past two years, the Sky’s roster hasn’t been the best, but Angel brought that bright spot for the city. We’ll see how this season goes.
Header image credit: X (formerly Twitter)/@Reese10Angel
