Angel Reese timeline of drama with Sky, from Caitlin Clark feud to Courtney Vandersloot call out originally appeared on The Sporting News.
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Angel Reese’s time with the Sky was anything but smooth. The famed forward, known for her defensive and rebounding chops — and burgeoning face-up game — was the lone bright spot in a lackluster Chicago roster across two seasons in the Windy City.
Reese’s tenure with the Sky came to a close on April 6. She was traded to the Dream in exchange for first round picks in 2027 and 2028. Reese will finally get the chance to take her place on a contender, joining Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard and Brionna Jones on Atlanta’s talent-laden roster.
Reese came to prominence as a member of Chicago, proving her collegiate production was no fluke. A two-time All-Star who led the league in rebounding in each of her two seasons with the Sky, Reese drew more headlines than most.
Not all of that was related to her play, however. Reese’s spell with Chicago was certainly tumultuous, even if her production was glistening.
With that, here’s a look at Reese’s timeline of drama across her Sky career.
MORE: What did the Sky get back for Angel Reese?
Angel Reese timeline of drama with Sky
Reese suffers season-ending wrist injury
Reese’s first dalliance with drama came towards the end of her rookie season. Reese, the league’s finest rebounder, saw her first year of action come to a sudden close when she was ruled out with a wrist injury.
The ailment effectively killed Reese’s Rookie of the Year chances. It also condemned the Sky to a lowly finish in the standings.
Sky sack Teresa Weatherspoon after one season
The Sky suffered a great many hiccups during Reese’s rookie season, tumbling down the league table despite inspired showings by Reese and Chennedy Carter. The poor results were enough to cost first-year head coach Teresa Weatherspoon her job — much to Reese’s chagrin.
“I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life,” Reese tweeted after news of Weatherspoon’s dismissal broke.
I’m heartbroken. I’m literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me. Many don’t even know what it’s like to be a black women in sports when nobody believes in…
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 27, 2024
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Chicago went 2-12 in its final 14 games, finishing the year with a dismal 13-27 record. A season-ending wrist injury to Reese didn’t help matters, although the Sky were already in free-fall.
Despite the toils, Weatherspoon played a pivotal role in Reese’s development. The LSU alum said as much, praising Weatherspoon — a former Pelicans assistant — for her support.
“I came to Chicago because of YOU,” Reese continued. “You were an unsung hero in my life. We built a relationship in a short amount of time that will last forever.”
MORE: Angel Reese trade grades
Reese gets T’d up after Caitlin Clark flagrant foul
Tensions from Reese and Caitlin Clark’s personal rivalry boiled over in the Sky’s 2025 season-opener against the Fever. Reese shrugged off Indiana forward Natasha Howard while trying to track down an offensive rebound. Clark, seemingly upset that Reese wasn’t assessed a foul despite initiating contact with Howard, responded by shoving Reese to the floor.
Caitlin Clark received a flagrant foul on this play.
Aliyah Boston and Angel Reese received offsetting technical fouls. pic.twitter.com/jzQYEW92TW
— ESPN (@espn) May 17, 2025
Reese sprung up off the ground and walked toward Clark before a cadre of players — including Aliyah Boston — separated them.
Replay review of the incident appeared to show Reese ask Clark “What the f— is wrong with you?” Clark turned her back and walked away as bodies spilled onto the floor. She was given a Flagrant 1 for unnecessary contact, while Reese and Boston were handed technical fouls for their roles in the incident.
Clark told ESPN’s Holly Rowe that her gesture was nothing more than a take foul.
“It’s just a good take foul,” Clark said. “Either Angel gets wide open two points, or we send them to the free throw line. Nothing malicious about it.”
MORE: Caitlin Clark vs. Angel Reese beef history, explained
She sang a similar tune postgame.
“Let’s not make it anything that it’s not,” Clark told reporters. “It was just a good play on the basketball. I’m not sure what the refs saw to upgrade it. And that’s up to their discretion after watching the initial — the whatever happened during the play and then whatever happened after.
“We watch a lot of basketball, you know, it’s a take foul to put them at the free throw line. … I wasn’t trying to do anything malicious, that’s not the type of player I am, so it wasn’t anything like that. And I went for the ball, it’s clear as day in the replay. You watch it, you know, it shouldn’t have been upgraded.”
Reese offered a similar assessment, telling reporters that Clark’s foul was a “basketball play” that the referees got “right.”
#Sky’s Angel Reese on the flagrant foul she received from #Fever’s Caitlin Clark:
“Basketball play. Refs got it right. Move on.” | @TheAthleticWBBpic.twitter.com/aOE0OxWkAZ
— James Boyd (@RomeovilleKid) May 17, 2025
WNBA investigates claims of racist comments hurled towards Reese in Sky-Fever game
In the days following the Sky and Fever’s season-opening tilt, allegations arose suggesting that Indiana fans fired racist comments at Reese.
The WNBA investigated the alleged remarks. The league concluded that it could not prove the allegations, thus closing its investigation.
“Based on the information gathered to date: including relevant fans, team, and arena staff, as well as audio and video review of the game, we have not substantiated it,” the league said in a statement.
Clark condemned the alleged racist remarks, saying they had no place in society.
Caitlin Clark on the alleged hateful comments during Saturday’s game:
“There’s no place for that in our game, there’s no place for that in society. We want every person that comes into our arena, whether player, whether fan, to have a great experience.”
More: pic.twitter.com/1f6HKyHroA
— Chloe Peterson (@chloepeterson67) May 19, 2025
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Sky deal rights to Sonia Citron, 2027 first round pick to Mystics in all-time blunder
Last offseason, the Sky made one of the worst trades in recent WNBA history, sending the No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft and a 2027 first-round pick swap to the Mystics in exchange for Ariel Atkins.
The deal immediately proved costly for Chicago. Washington used the pick to select Sonia Citron, who proceeded to make the All-Star game as a rookie.
The deal went from bad to worse for the Windy City outfit. Chicago finished with the joint-worst record in basketball in 2025. It will likely put forth a similar display in 2026, meaning the Sky are headed for the high-lottery. Barring something extraordinary, the Mystics will likely pick up Chicago’s first-round selection, meaning Washington — not the Sky — will have a chance at winning the Juju Watkins sweepstakes.
Atkins is a two-time All-Star, Olympian and WNBA champion. But a one-year rental was not worth flipping the Sky’s future.
Reese calls out Courtney Vandersloot, Sky front office in explosive interview
Reese added to her toolkit of skills in the 2025 season, emerging as Chicago’s lead playmaker while pushing her field-goal shooting up by nearly seven percentage points. Reese also reestablish herself as one of the league’s best defenders at her position, showcasing the footwork and quick hands to give even the sport’s finest talents woes.
That still wasn’t enough to push the Sky up the WNBA standings. Chicago lost more games than it did in 2024.
Frustration over the direction of the franchise reached a fever pitch at the end of the regular season, with chants of “Free Angel” and “Fire Jeff” — a pointed reference at Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca — filling the air at Chicago’s Wintrust Arena in the Sky’s final few home games.
Reese, who spent most of the Sky’s final few games in street clothes, didn’t mince words on her view of the roster. Speaking with the Chicago Tribune following the season finale, Reese made it clear that she would take her talents elsewhere if Chicago’s front office didn’t start making moves.
“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 made specific mention of Sky legend Courtney Vandersloot, who suffered a torn ACL earlier in the campaign.
“We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at. I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that. 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.”
