The Chicago Sky have traded forward Angel Reese and 2028 second round pick swap rights to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for 2027 and 2028 1st round picks.
Reese led the Sky in points (14.1) and rebounds (12.6) per game last season en route to her second consecutive All-Star selection. Despite her individual stat-lines, Reese and the Sky struggled to play a winning brand of basketball as the team posted a 10-34 record, tied for worst in the league.
Moreover, the two sides appeared to be at loggerheads over the direction of the team, with Reese openly questioning some of the club’s personnel decisions over the course of the season. While the soon to be 24 year old Reese did not formally request a trade, sources say that the Sky worked closely with Reese’s camp to find her a new home.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”
The deal adds some much needed draft capital to a Sky franchise that has missed the playoffs in each of the last two seasons. Despite being a major media market, the Sky have struggled to attract top level talent recently. With a massive wave of free agents now set to hit the market following the ratification of the new league CBA, Chicago is hoping to forge a new identity in the coming weeks via both the WNBA collegiate draft, as well as bringing in some established stars to turn around their on court product.
For Atlanta, they’re hoping that a change in scenery will help unlock a new level to Reese’s game.
“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” Dream general manager Dan Padover said in a statement. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.”
Despite coming in as the 3rd seed in last year’s playoffs, Atlanta was upended in the first round by a Caitlin Clark-less Indiana Fever. If the club is able to retain some of the core players from last season’s roster in the upcoming free agent frenzy, then adding a player of Reese’s ilk should position them well for another postseason run.
April 6th and 7th will serve as the designation period for WNBA teams, followed by a 3 day negotiation period. On April 11th signings and contracts can become official, followed closely by the WNBA collegiate draft on April 13th.
Photo: John Mac. This file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.