Did the Chicago Sky just make the worst trade of the WNBA offseason? That’s the question dominating conversations after Angel Reese was traded to the Atlanta Dream. An Emmy-award-winning journalist was brutal with a verdict.
Khristina Williams seems to think that this trade was anything but a win for the Chicago Sky. “For what they got… they traded her for almost nothing in return,” said Williams on the WNBA on NBC show. In reality, the Chicago Sky got the Dream’s first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028 in return for that trade. And for Khristina Williams, that was nothing compared to having a two-time All-Star Angel Reese, who led the WNBA in rebounding in both seasons with the team.
Judging by the general reactions of fans, it appears that Khristina Williams is not alone on this boat. Following the trade announcement, the Chicago Sky witnessed heavy backlash from fans. Specifically, they lost roughly 12,000 Instagram followers shortly after the announcement. And of course, that’s quite expected. Angel Reese is that kind of player. And in the words of Williams, “you just don’t let go of a star like that, who brings in the revenue for the franchise so easily.”
Angel Reese, of course, has fully bought into the Atlanta move and has since expressed her excitement. And why wouldn’t she be? Moving from a team that ended last season on a losing 10-34 record to one that won over 30 games would definitely feel exciting. And as she always wanted, she now gets to play with players like Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, and Naz Hillmon. These are the kind of players she hoped the Chicago Sky would equip their roster with, as she’s been on record publicly criticizing the Sky roster.
The way Khristina Williams sees it, the lack of roster improvement appears to be an unwillingness on the part of the Chicago front office. According to her, “players have even complained about team investment and the facilities.” In fact, Angel Reese is not the first star that they have fumbled. They also previously got it wrong with Sylvia Fowles, Elena Delle Donne, Kahleah Copper, and Gabby Williams.
So maybe it’s time for major changes to the Chicago Sky front office, who have come out to explain that the Angel Reese trade was to “achieve roster balance.” Well, that strategy better work, because this team has not been a championship contender since they won in 2021. In the words of Khristina Williams, “if it doesn’t work out this season, they really have to start looking inward on changing some of those people in those front office positions.”
Analysts Suggest Angel Reese Trade Acted As “Salary Dump” For The Chicago Sky
Angel Reese’s trade is, of course, a significant addition to the Atlanta Dream in terms of ability and performance. It is, however, also a significant addition to their wage bill. With the recent Collective Bargaining Agreement, Angel Reese will have a 460 percent salary surge. This moves her from a $75,000 salary to a whopping $350,000.
The trade also prevents the Chicago Sky, who had the seventh-highest player payroll in the league last season, from having to pay that salary. In fact, Reese’s contract reportedly has a team option for the 2027 season. If they exercise that, her salary goes up to $396,282. And if she receives All-WNBA honors this season, she would be eligible for a maximum contract up to $1.4 million. Being a two-time WNBA All-Star, maybe she’s going to get that $1.4 million.
However, while Reese’s salary has seen a considerable increase, it is still well below the projected 2026 league average of $583,000, which the new CBA indicates. And that’s pretty much because she is still playing under her original rookie-scale contract extension. That, in a way, seems to be also beneficial for Atlanta, at least for now.
