Angel Reese's Future Discussed by Sky GM, Team Operating Like She'll Be on 2026 Roster

The Chicago Sky are operating as if Angel Reese will remain on the roster for the 2026 WNBA season, general manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters Friday.

"Angel's an ascending young talent in this league who's had two very good seasons here in Chicago," Pagliocca said during Friday exit interviews, per WNBA reporter Karli Bell.

Pagliocca continued, per Bell: "Until I hear differently, we're going to move in the direction that she's going to be on the roster."

Reese has not played since the Sky issued her a half-game suspension for criticizing the organization in a Sept. 3 interview with the Chicago Tribune. She missed the last three games of the season with what the team described as a back injury.

When asked about Reese's development this season, Pagliocca said the Sky "saw so much new and good out of her this season," per Bell.

"She was able to build on the success she had last season," Pagliocca said, per Bell. "Finding consistency with shooting in the midrange, pick and pop from the three-point line and play in tighter spaces."

Reese, who led the Sky by averaging 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds this season, expressed frustration with the team's 10-win campaign in her interview with the Tribune's Julia Poe.

"I'm not settling for the same s--t we did this year," Reese told Poe about the 2026 season, before expressing a desire for improved coaching from Tyler Marsh and better roster-building by the organization.

She also said didn't think the Sky could rely on veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot "to come back at the age that she's at" after undergoing ACL surgery at age 36.

"I know she'll be a great asset for us, but we can't rely on that," Reese told Poe. "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."

The Sky answered by suspending Reese for the first half of a Sept. 7 game against the Las Vegas Aces for what the club called "statements detrimental to the team."

Vandersloot meanwhile responded by saying her "age is not actually a factor" in her ability to "come back better than ever."

But Pagliocca seemingly shared a similar perspective to Reese regarding Vandersloot's role when speaking with reporters Friday.

"If she's healthy, she's going to be playing basketball here," Pagliocca said about Vandersloot, per Bell. "We know that she's not going to be playing 38 minutes a game. We're need somebody to be here and be capable of playing that position."

Reese, who just finished out the second year of her rookie contract, is signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027.

The second-year guard also missed time due to a back injury earlier in the 2025 season. But given Reese's absence at the end of the campaign, as well as her comments and subsequent suspension, Sky leadership may need to give more definitive comments than Pagliocca's in order to convince other WNBA teams there's no possibility of a trade this offseason.