Sky Coach's Response to Angel Reese's Late Notice Injury Absence Raises Eyebrows
It has been a strange week for Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky organization, to say the least.
This strangeness all started after Reese was quoted in a Chicago Tribune article calling out her organization for multiple things, including her making an assertion that the team's current roster wasn't good enough to compete in the postseason and that the front office needed to do a better job in free agency. If they didn't, Reese made it clear that she would have no issue looking for a way out of the franchise.
Reese also called out several players that she wasn't sure were capable of leading this team to the success it was hoping for, which seemed to alienate Reese from these players. This sparked a ton of hot takes, with many being flabbergasted by the 23-year-old willing to call her team out publicly in this way.
Ultimately, Reese's comments didn't go unpunished, as the Sky announced that Reese would be suspended for the first half of the team's September 7 game against the Las Vegas Aces as a result of her "detrimental" comments.
But this saga doesn't end there.
Reese's Injury Absence Sparks Response from Sky Coach
Before Sunday's Sky vs. Aces game began, news came out of nowhere that Reese wouldn't be playing in the second half of the contest, either, because of what she was saying was a back injury.
Reese has dealt with back issues this season. However, the late notice nature of this announcement, combined with questions about why the Sky decided to suspend her for one half instead of a full game (given the potential health risks that could create), has made Reese's injury prompt a lot of speculation.
Angel Reese didn't warm up when the Sky came out from the locker room after halftime.
— Chicago State of Mind Sports (@ChiStateOfMind_) September 8, 2025
Per Sky PR: Reese is (OUT) - Back#Skytown pic.twitter.com/rnozKXU4g4
Chicago first-year head coach Tyler Marsh spoke with the media after Sunday's game. At one point, he was asked about Reese's back ailment and her missing the second half of the game after her suspension ended.
"Yeah, she reported it to us during pregame. And so, in conjunction with medical staff, Angel and the medical staff, we wanted to be as cautious as possible," Marsh said, per an X post from Chicago State of Mind Sports.
When asked whether this was something the team was worried about at this point in the season, Marsh added, "I think we've got to gauge it, day-by-day. Obviously, with two games remaining, Angel wants to be out there. So we'll continue to work with her and our medical team to see what the best method or approach is moving forward."
Coach Marsh on Angel Reese’s back injury and status going forward. #Skytown pic.twitter.com/XvrF7GJjQv
— Chicago State of Mind Sports (@ChiStateOfMind_) September 8, 2025
It will be interesting to see whether Reese suits up for the Sky's final two games.
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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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