Angel Reese and Courtney Vandersloot Sky Relationship Beyond Repair, Report Suggests
In a September 3 Chicago Tribune article, Chicago Sky star Angel Reese made a comment about her veteran point guard teammate Courtney Vandersloot (who suffered a torn ACL earlier in the 2025 WNBA season) that set the women's basketball community ablaze.
“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," Reese said at one point in the article.
Fans were shocked that Reese was willing to call her teammate's age out in this way. And it quickly became clear that Vandersloot didn't appreciate Reese's comments, as she said, "Oh, absolutely. You know, contrary to what people say or think, my age is actually not a factor... I've put myself in a position to come back and compete, even at this age," during a recent interview when asked if she'll be returning to the Sky next season.
Report Conveys Angel Reese, Courtney Vandersloot Bridge May Be Burned
Julia Poe (who wrote the initial Chicago Tribune article that included Reese's comments) followed this up with a September 13 story that showed just how much of a rift Reese's comments have caused between her and Vandersloot.
"Reese’s team has not communicated any desire to leave the Sky this offseason, per a league source. The team is hoping that space during the early weeks of the offseason will offer time for all parties to cool off and reassess the best path forward," Poe's article wrote, which was excerpted as a screenshot in an X post from @problemsthots.
"Inside the Sky organization, that cooling-off period already has begun... The franchise is still Reese’s if she chooses to stay with the Sky — but there will be work ahead on all sides to mend and maintain strong relationships.
"One crucial step would be repairing her relationship with Courtney Vandersloot, who is considered internally to be the player most upset by Reese’s questioning of whether the Sky can rely on the veteran to return from a torn ACL," Poe continued.
new update from the tribune.
— kimberly. (@problemsthots) September 13, 2025
- Angel hasn’t expressed a desire to leave the Sky and it doesn’t seem like the organization wants to move her.
- internally they’re hoping all parties can mend the relationship.
- also Sloot was mad as fuck. pic.twitter.com/Q3zKhiv4Os
She then added, "Multiple sources within the organization voiced concern about whether Reese and Vandersloot can repair their relationship."
It sounds like if Reese and Vandersloot can't make amends, the organization might have to decide which of them they'd want to keep around for the 2026 campaign — so long as Reese doesn't make their decision for them by requesting a trade.
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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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