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Could Angel Reese be angling towards a move out of Chicago?
The Sky star ripped into the franchise and teammates in an interview with The Chicago Tribune published Wednesday, where she voiced her displeasure after another losing season.
Chicago is 10-30 after a blowout win Wednesday over the Connecticut Sun, but the team is just 3-15 since the All-Star break.
Reese said she wants to be open-minded but might have to leave the team if things don’t change.
“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” she told the paper. “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.”
The 23-year-old forward also called out teammates by name and said the team needs to find upgrades.
“I’m not settling for the same (expletive) we did this year,” she said. “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.”
One such player was Courtney Vandersloot, a two-time WNBA champion, five-time All-Star, and seven-time assist leader in the WNBA.
Reese questioned if the 36-year-old could return to form after an ACL injury given the “age she’s at.”
“We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before,” she added.
Rachel Banham or Hailey Van Lith were additionally named as teammates she believes can’t lead a playoff team.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Reese also said she wants head coach Tyler Marsh to coach players harder.
Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported, citing league sources, that the team has seen her comments and are unhappy with the direct attacks. A team meeting is planned in which players will address Reese directly.
Reese has one more guaranteed year left on her WNBA rookie contract before the Sky holds a team option in 2027.
NBC Chicago’s Mike Berman sat down one-on-one with Angel Reese ahead of the Chicago Sky’s season opener against the Indiana Fever
