Sky's Angel Reese's Blow Up Was Harsh But Needed
It was a harsh message, one that hurt a few feelings and rubbed fans, teammates, and staff members the wrong way. But was Angel Reese wrong for her recent comments? Not really.
More than anything, Reese’s tone is being condemned.
For those who’ve been living under a rock and don’t remember what she said, sit back and take a look.
“I’m not settling for the same s*** we did this year,” Reese told Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best. And however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
That wasn’t the only thing she said. Reese essentially threatened the franchise, stating that if they don’t get their act together and bring in better players, she could be out the door.
"I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese continued. “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."
Since then, Reese has apologized, but her words shouldn’t fly under the radar.
If no one else wants to say it, we will: She was right.
The Sky has done a horrific job putting pieces around her. This past draft, the Sky grabbed Hailey Van Lith. Whether she’s good or not is debatable, but in terms of opportunities, they haven’t exactly come her way. Even when they have, she hasn’t produced.
Hailey Van Lith Stats
3.5 PPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 RPG
Lith has been bad; there’s no way around it, but we can point to more mistakes the franchise has made.
In the offseason, Chicago allowed Chennedy Carter to walk, despite her leading them in scoring the season prior at 17.5 points a night. Essentially, they replaced her with a 36-year-old Courtney Vandersloot.
The decision to go with a proven vet may have paid off, but Vandersloot went down just seven games into the season with a torn ACL. But what did the Sky do to replace her? Absolutely nothing.
Roughly a month ago, the Sky were attempting to right the ship when suddenly, Odyssey Sims became available. Instead of grabbing her, they allowed her to slip through their fingers as the Indiana Fever signed her. So what exactly has she been doing for them? Well, a lot.
Odyssey Sims Stats
10 PPG, 3.9 APG, 2.1 RPG
Letting Sims slide by is inexcusable, but do you remember Marquesha Davis? The Sky thought signing her was a good idea. It wasn’t.
Marquesha Davis Stats
1.0 PPG, 1.0 RPG, 0.0 APG, 16.7 FG%
(She was cut two games later)
This is the problem with the Sky. They believe that having a generational player like Reese is enough. Furthermore, they believe that doing the bare minimum is ok.
Have the Sky done some good things? They sure have. Kamilla Cardoso is one of the best young bigs in the league, and Ariel Atkins is a long-term keeper. With that said, the franchise has made some head-scratching moves. All Reese is attempting to do is hold their feet to the fire.
A graduate of Queens College, Hans has covered practically every sport you can think of. The NBA, NFL, Boxing, UFC, Tennis, MLB, even Rugby! His work has appeared in various places such as Bleacher Report, USA Today, Fox Sports, and FanSided. When he isn’t reporting or writing on sports, he’s watching it. He also enjoys boxing, lifting weights at the gym, and debating anything sports-related.