WNBA star Angel Reese isn’t leaving Chicago any time soon, despite her threats to quit the Sky.
Reese sparked outrage earlier this month when she took aim at the Chicago Sky, vowing that she wouldn’t be ‘settling for the same s*** we did this year’ after the franchise failed to make the playoffs for a second straight year.
The 23-year-old further fueled speculation that she could force her way out of the Windy City when she told the Chicago Tribune that she ‘might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me.’
But despite her obvious frustration with the franchise, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca has made it clear that they don’t intend to let the LSU graduate walk – yet.
‘Until I hear differently, that’s the direction we’re going to move, is that she’s on the roster,’ Pagliocca told reporters on Friday.
Reese was hit with a suspension for the first half of a game by the team for her comments but didn’t return to the court for the remainder of the regular season.
Angel Reese missed the last four games of the season after threatening to quit the Sky
Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca insisted that the team would be sticking with Reese
The Sky’s season came to a close Thursday night with Reese missing her fourth consecutive game. The franchise listed her with a back injury for the final three games.
Her absence sparked concern among fans that her relationship with the Sky was beyond repair as trade speculation began to swirl.
But Pagliocca shut down those rumors, insisting that the Sky had moved on from the saga.
‘Angel is an ascending young talent in this league who’s had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago,’ Pagliocca said.
‘Obviously, we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates. She spoke publicly. We moved on as a team. She’s a special player. And I have good conversations with Angel daily, with her team daily. They’re constant, and they’re productive.’
Reese was forced to issue a groveling apology to her teammates following her inflammatory comments.
‘I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates, because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year,’ the second-year player said. ‘They’ve busted their a** just how I busted my a**.’
Reese has made the WNBA All-Star game in each of her two seasons in the league, but she is hoping for better results from her team.
Her rookie contract runs through the 2027 season, with the Sky likely approaching the 6-foot-3 forward with an extension offer before a possible free-agency test.
