Insider Flags Concerning Pattern in Chicago Sky Decisions After Angel Reese Trade

For a franchise that knows exactly how to spot greatness, the bigger question now is why can’t they keep it? The Chicago Sky recently traded Angel Reese just two years after drafting her. And while roster shakeups aren’t unusual in the WNBA, this one has raised eyebrows for a different reason. Because to some insiders, this is about a pattern that keeps repeating itself.

On a recent episode of The Women’s Hoops Show, Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune didn’t mince words while breaking down what’s going wrong in Chicago.

“I think it’s really an indictment on this franchise’s talent retention,” she said. “This is a team that has done a really excellent job over the years of identifying talent… but there is a long history of players coming in the door and then not signing second and third contracts.”

And that’s where things start to get concerning.

At first glance, moving Angel Reese might look like a rebuild decision. But this isn’t the first time Chicago has watched a top-tier talent walk out the door. To give you a clearer picture, here are just a few examples:

• Sylvia Fowles (2008–2014): Requested a trade and sat out half of 2015 to force a move to Minnesota.
• Elena Delle Donne (2013–2016): Requested a trade to be closer to home and threatened to sit out the 2017 season if her request was not honored.
• Kahleah Copper (2017–2024): Traded to Phoenix in exchange for four draft picks, despite being the 2021 Finals MVP.
• Candace Parker (2021–2022): Left in free agency in January 2023 after leading Chicago to a championship.
• Gabby Williams (2018-21): Got traded to the Los Angeles Sparks in exchange for Stephanie Watts and the draft rights to Leonie Fiebich.

Instead of locking in talent through second and third contracts, the Sky have found themselves restarting again and again. And that’s exactly what they will need to do after trading Reese, who was widely considered the face of the Sky franchise.

But despite being one of the league’s most productive young stars, why was she traded?

Angel Reese’s relationship with the organization began to crack last season. She publicly called for roster upgrades and made it clear she wasn’t willing to settle for mediocrity.

The Sky labeled her comments “detrimental” and suspended her for half a game. While the team later cited injury for her absence, the disconnect was already out in the open.

“I think especially in this situation, the lack of care and the lack of effort that was put into maintaining and kind of solving some of the problems in this relationship really reflects poorly on management, going straight up to ownership and kind of well above the front office. It goes straight up all the way to the top,” Poe further added.

Eventually, those tensions turned into action, and the Chicago Sky traded Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for future first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, along with a 2028 second-round swap. And in doing so, they didn’t just trade their star player; they reinforced a pattern that continues to follow the franchise year after year.