Chicago Sky star Angel Reese says she has apologized to her teammates for a Chicago Tribune article in which she criticized the organization and indicated she might eventually leave the team “if things don’t pan out.”
Following the Sky’s 88-64 victory over the Connecticut Sun on Wednesday night, Reese was asked by a reporter about the frustration she seemed to express in the article, which was published earlier that day.
“I don’t think I’m frustrated. I probably am frustrated [with] myself right now,” Reese said during a postgame news conference.“I think the language is taken out of context, and 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 a—, just how I bust my a—, they showed up for me through thick and thin, and in the locker room when nobody could see anything.
“So I would 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 be better and grow from this.”
First-year coach Tyler Marsh told reporters he spoke with Reese concerning the article before the game.
“That will stay between me and Angel,” Marsh said of that discussion. “But I think that everyone had their opportunities to speak. And we’ll leave it at that.”
Selected by Chicago at No. 7 overall in the 2024 draft, Reese averaged 13.6 points and a league-record 131 rebounds and finished second to Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever in voting for rookie of the year . This year, Reese is averaging 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds and was an All-Star selection for the second time.
The Sky, however, have missed the playoffs both years. They finished 13-27 in 2024 and are currently 10-30 with four games remaining this season. Injuries were a factor this year — star point guard Courtney Vandersloot suffered a season-ending ACL injury after seven games and Reese missed three weeks with a back injury — but Reese told the Tribune that the organization needs to do better.
“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese 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.”
Reese’s rookie contract with the Sky runs through the 2027 season, with the final year being a team option.
“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,” Reese told the Tribune. “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 Tribune also stated that Reese wants Marsh to coach players harder.
“I think that everyone is entitled to feel how they feel,” Marsh said of that portion of the article. “For me, the most important thing is staying authentic and genuine to who I am and have that translate in whatever way it translates.
“But I think the overarching theme is that none of us are happy with where we’re at in terms of what our record has been. That’s the core of where frustration is organizationally. We’ve just got to continue to finish this season strong.”