Sky's Angel Reese Praises First Time All-Star
This year's All-Star game being in Indiana has been a gift and a curse.
On one end, Caitlin Clark is the hometown hero. On the other end, a bothersome and persistent groin injury is keeping her out of the festivities.
Losing out on Clark was a blow to the W, but the league needed to find someone worthy to replace her.
In steps Brittney Sykes.
Before heading into her ninth season, Sykes was viewed as a defensive gem on the court. She’s made four All-Defensive teams, is a two-time steals champ and finished in the top three for Defensive Player of the Year twice.
Her offense was never eye-catching, but it was more than respectable. This year, she’s still defending like a mad woman, but she’s putting the ball in the hoop like never before, averaging 17.1 points a night.
Watching Sykes get selected to her first All-Star game at the age of 31 has Angel Reese smiling like a proud mom looking at her child blossom.
“I’m really happy, even though she’s on the other team, for Brittney Sykes, because she deserves this moment,” Reese said on a video posted by the Chicago Sky’s X account.
“delayed, not denied” 🥹👑 pic.twitter.com/poQBG8iVx5
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) July 18, 2025
Leading the Washington Mystics in both points and assists is one thing, but making them a respectable squad is something else entirely.
In 2024, the Mystics were far from contender status, finishing the year at 14-26. We aren’t saying they're title threats, but at 11-11, if the playoffs started today, they’d hold the number seven spot.
Reese, who’s a two-time All-Star, doesn’t want Sykes to keep her head down just because she was picked as a replacement. In her eyes, the talented guard has always been worthy of being an All-Star; it just took a little while for the rest of the league to take notice.
“I texted her a couple of days ago and told her, 'You deserve to be here.’ Delayed, not denied,” Reese continued. “I’m really happy for her.”
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.