Chicago Sky star Angel Reese made it incredibly clear earlier this week that if the organization continues to struggle, she may soon be looking for opportunities elsewhere around the WNBA. And while some appreciated her honesty about her current situation, the Sky organization did not, opting to hand down a punishment on Friday.
Reese was already set to miss Friday’s game against the Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever after being handed a one-game suspension for picking up her eighth technical foul of the 2025 season. But now, she will also miss a portion of Sunday’s matchup against the Las Vegas Aces for her comments about the Sky organization made to the Chicago Tribune.
In a post on X, the Sky informed the public, along with Reese, that she would be suspended for the first half of Sunday’s game for comments about the organization.
“The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player,” the team said in their statement. “We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball. Because of the statements detrimental to the team made by Angel Reese during league-mandated media, she will not play in the first half of the game on September 7 against the Las Vegas Aces. This matter has been handled and resolved internally, and we are moving forward as a team.”
Statement from the Chicago Sky pic.twitter.com/kf8qXvEkGb
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 5, 2025
Reese’s comments made to the Chicago Tribune alluded to potentially “moving in a different direction” should the direction of the Sky as an organization doesn’t change.
“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune. “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.”
Additionally, Reese made some comments about injured Sky point guard Courtney Vandersloot that some thought were a bit disparaging. Particularly, Reese said that the organization “can’t rely” on Vandersloot returning next season due to her age, citing a need for younger talent on the team.
“We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at,” Reese said. “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.”
It’s certainly understandable for Reese to not be content with where the Sky organization is currently at. No player who has ambitions of a WNBA championship would be pleased to sit at 10-30.
But clearly, it may have been wiser to keep her opinions behind closed doors and not voice them publicly to the media.
About Reice Shipley
Reice Shipley is a staff writer for Comeback Media that graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Sports Media. He previously worked at Barrett Sports Media and is a fan of all things Syracuse sports.