Angel Reese Addresses Chicago After Sky Trade to Dream
One of the biggest trades in modern women's basketball history was announced on the morning of April 6, when Angel Reese was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream.
In return, the Sky are receiving the Dream's first round pick in the 2027 WNBA Draft and in the 2028 WNBA Draft. Atlanta is also getting the rights to second round picks with the Sky in 2028, according to an X post from Annie Costabile of Front Office Sports.
This move makes it clear that Chicago is looking to rebuild its roster and essentially start turning this team into a playoff contender from scratch. It also means that while Reese's two-year tenure in Chicago was very successful for her individually (culminating in two WNBA All-Star appearances and leading the league in rebounding during the 2025 season), she left the city that drafted her without ever appearing in the postseason.
Sky GM Jeff Pagliocca addressed the media less than two weeks later and asserted that he didn't intend to trade Reese, despite what she said. While maybe that wasn't his intention at the time, the bottom line is that what had been his best player has been moved for two future first round WNBA Draft picks.
Angel Reese Sends Message to Chicago After Trade to Dream
In the wake of this news being announced, Reese collaborated with the Dream's social media accounts for an Instagram post that featured Reese sending a spoken message to her former franchise.
"To the city of Chicago: You showed me real love from day one. Big thank you to Chicago. Always, Chi-Town Barbie," Reese said while a highlight reel of footage from her two years spent playing for the Sky were displayed. The final frame was a graphic that read, "Thank you Chicago."
The post's caption read, "An Angel’s DREAM💭! 🅰️TL WHAT UP?! @atlantadream". It has been reposted on social media to multiple different accounts.
Angel Reese parting message for the fans of the Chicago Sky
— Athlete Vanity (@AthleteVanity) April 6, 2026
ATL ✈️✈️ https://t.co/bPsQr40M1Y pic.twitter.com/bj8RuoPdxr
There's still a lot that must be figured out in terms of the Dream retooling its roster for the 2026 WNBA season, since so many players are becoming free agents. But now having control of Reese puts the Dream in a terrific spot before what's sure to be an exciting season.
Interestingly enough, Reese's first opportunity to suit up in a Dream uniform will come during preseason action on April 29—in Chicago for an exhibition contest against the Sky.
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
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