Angel Reese Traded to Dream, WNBA Star Posts Photos in New Uniform After Deal from Sky

After laying down a challenge to the organization, Angel Reese won't be around to see whether the Chicago Sky improve their broad infrastructure.

The Sky are trading the two-time All-Star to the Atlanta Dream, a move first reported by NBA on Prime's Taylor Rooks:

Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported details on the full deal:

Reese's fate was sealed when she gave an interview to the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe in September. The second-year forward gave her candid thoughts and repeated what fans have been saying for years. She acknowledged how the roster isn't good enough and that the Sky have a lot of work ahead to improve their reputation in the eyes of WNBA players.

The story was an example of how diplomacy is sometimes better than brutal honesty, though.

Reese told Poe the Sky "have to get good players," which wasn't exactly a ringing endorsement of her teammates, and specifically questioned whether Courtney Vandersloot was a good option as the starting point guard in 2026.

Poe added that Reese "believes there are only two guarantees on the 2026 Sky roster: herself and Cardoso."

Not surprisingly, the interview didn't go down well in Chicago's locker room.

Only hours after Poe's story was published, Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports reported that Sky were "unhappy with the direct attacks."

"There is a belief among some sources that Reese's future in Chicago may not be reparable," Costabile wrote.

Reese apologized after Chicago's 88-64 win over the Connecticut Sun later that night.

Still, the Sky saw fit to suspend her for the first half of their Sept. 7 matchup with the Las Vegas Aces. She ultimately didn't play in any of their final three games due to a lingering back injury.

General manager Jeff Pagliocca told reporters after the season ended that he penciled in Reese for 2026 "until I hear differently." That remark left a lot of room for interpretation.

The front office painted itself into a serious corner.

Reese was the Sky's most popular player, so any trade would inevitably be received badly by the fanbase, especially those who were around when Sylvia Fowles and Elena Delle Donne forced their way out of the Windy City.

Securing a return that reflected Reese's achievements and status was difficult as well when teams around the WNBA knew Chicago might be looking to move her on. There are questions over the 23-year-old's value to a team with playoff aspirations, too.

Reese remains limited as a scorer. Through two seasons, she has shot 7-of-38 from three-point range, and almost 87 percent of her career shot attempts have come within nine feet of the basket, per WNBA.com.

The 6'3" big doesn't make up for her lack of range by being hyper-efficient, either. She's a 42.1 percent shooter.

Costabile said executives around the WNBA believe Reese "would be the third or fourth option" on a team aiming for a championship.

On top of that, being an elite rebounder doesn't carry the weight it once did with teams emphasizing floor-spacing and transition offense. Reese is on a historic pace in terms of her work on the boards, but her gaudy numbers might obscure her full impact on the floor.

For the Dream, the opportunity to land Reese was too good to pass up.

At worst, she'll grow to be a productive starter on a playoff team, and leaving Chicago behind might help to unlock her full potential.

This spring will be the biggest free-agent bonanza in WNBA history with nearly every veteran across the league hitting the open market. Atlanta preempted that b making a huge splash.