Chicago Sky star Angel Reese issued a public apology to her teammates on Thursday following a harsh reaction to some comments she made earlier in the week about the future of the organization. It was an apology she probably shouldn't have had to make, because she was only speaking the truth about where things stand for the team.
The comments that sparked the firestorm came earlier this week when she sounded off about what direction the Sky need to take this offseason to start building a winning organization. It was a very simple take: They need better players.
"We have to get good players. We have to get great players," Reese said.
It's not exactly a bold statement when you consider where the Sky have been in recent years, and especially since their championship season in 2021. Since that championship, the Sky have progressively gotten worse each season, and they are headed for their second consecutive non-playoff season. Even worse, they are on track to win fewer games than they did a year ago and have not really surrounded Reese with a truly talented roster.
That resulted in Reese saying this to the Chicago Tribune:
"I’m not settling for the same s--- we did this year," Reese told Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune recently. “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."
"I am very vocal about what we need and what I want," Reese said. "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. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.
There is absolutely nothing wrong with that statement, and it's not all that different from what other top athletes stuck on bad teams have said over the years. That is a competitor talking. That is somebody who wants to win.
Reese is one of the best rebounders and defensive players in the WNBA, and while she does still have some things to work on offensively (there have been real improvements there) but has known nothing but losing since arriving in the league. As of Thursday, the Sky are just 23-57 over the past two years and not even close to playoff contention.
That's not exactly a team that is doing everything right and swimming in talent. Somebody needs to pressure the front office, and the team's biggest star is always going to be the person who has the freedom and confidence to do that.
You can see and hear her entire apology to her teammates here.
"I probably am frustrated at myself right now... I want to apologize to my teammates… I just have to be better with my language.”
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) September 4, 2025
Angel Reese speaks on her frustration and clears the air on her recent comments ️
(via @chicagosky)
pic.twitter.com/0gLZMervg8
While some of her teammates may have been hurt by her comments, this is still professional sports. It is the big leagues, and there is always going to be pressure to perform. Everybody in that locker room has to be self-aware enough to know the status quo should not be acceptable there. Somebody had to just say it.
To add to Reese's rough week, the WNBA announced it had suspended her.
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