Chicago Sky Punish Angel Reese For 'Detrimental' Comments About Team
On September 3, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune published an article that included several quotes from Chicago Sky superstar Angel Reese calling her organization out for several shortcomings.
The most notable was that Reese believed that the front office hadn't done enough to improve the roster over the past offseason, and that if they didn't do a better job of turning the Sky into a contending team in the season to come, then she threatened to leave the franchise. What's more, Reese said that her head coach, Tyler Marsh, needed to coach his players harder, and that veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot was likely not young enough to successfully lead the team.
These comments put Reese in hot water, and she ultimately apologized for what she said after the team's September 3 game by saying, "I don't think I’m frustrated [with the Sky franchise]. I probably am frustrated with myself right now. I think the language was taken out of context, and I really didn't intentionally mean to put down my teammates, because they've been through this with me throughout the whole year. They've busted their a** just like how I've busted my a**. They've showed up for me through thick and thin in the locker room when nobody could see anything.
"I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued, about what was said. I just have to be better with my language because I know it's not the message, it's the messenger. And understanding what I say can be taken any type of way. So I just have to really be better and grow from this," Reese added.
Sky Announce Angel Reese Suspension
While this apology seemed to go over well, it didn't keep the Sky from punishing Reese, which was revealed in a September 5 X post from the team.
"The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player. We are committed to accountability so our players can stya focused on playing basketball," the statement wrote.
"Because of statements detrimental to the team made by Angel Reese during the 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," it continued.
Statement from the Chicago Sky pic.twitter.com/kf8qXvEkGb
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 5, 2025
Time will tell whether both Reese and Sky are truly "moving forward" after these comments.
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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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