Chicago Sky Suspends Angel Reese For Comments About Team

Angel Reese has been suspended by the Chicago Sky for a half sport following feedback she made concerning the workforce’s subpar season.

Supply: Evan Bernstein / Getty

The struggling workforce made the choice to penalize their star participant days after Reese spoke candidly about their struggles following a season wherein they almost made the playoffs. Within the 2024 low season, the Chicago Sky entrance workplace made the controversial resolution to fireside beloved WNBA head coach Teresa Weatherspoon and didn’t resign their defensive star, Chennedy Carter. Reese, seemingly fed up with the massive decline the Sky has taken since, spoke to the Chicago Tribune and had phrases for the workforce’s possession.

“I’m very vocal about what we’d like and what I would like,” Reese stated. “I’d wish to be right here for my profession, but when issues don’t pan out, clearly I may need to maneuver in a unique route and do what’s finest for me. However whereas I’m right here, I’m going to attempt to keep open-minded about what I’ve right here and maximize that as a lot as I can.”

Reese has beforehand expressed a necessity for stronger gamers to be added to the roster after a gutting low season and with the added wound of an injury-ridden beginning 5. The workforce managed to edge out a win over the Connecticut Sky and the Chicago Barbie took the time to clear the air about her feedback within the Tribune.

“I most likely am pissed off with myself proper now,” Reese stated. “I believe the language might be taken out of context, and I actually didn’t deliberately imply to place down my teammates as a result of they’ve been by this with me the entire 12 months. … I need to apologize to my teammates, which I have already got, concerning the article and the way it was misconstrued about what was stated.”

Although the workforce’s present head coach Tyler Marsh advised reporters that the difficulty had been dealt with internally, the Sky’s resolution to bench Angel alongside its public announcement appeared to inform a unique story.

“Due to statements detrimental to the workforce made by Angel Reese throughout league-mandated media, she won’t play within the first half of the sport on September 7 in opposition to the Las Vegas Aces,” the assertion stated, concluding that the Sky is “shifting ahead as a workforce.”

Reese has been the topic of relentless on-line trolling and racially-fueled hate since main her former workforce, the Louisiana State College Woman Tigers, to a nationwide championship over Caitlin Clark’s Iowa Wildcats in 2023. Many WNBA followers discovered the Sky’s announcement to be gasoline to the continued firestorm of negativity thrown Reese’s method.

“Angel offers with a lot hate on-line even for issues she doesn’t say. Y’all have by no means protected her in any method! Why would you place one thing like this out for those who declare it’s being dealt with internally?,” one person questioned beneath the group’s put up. “Why are you subjecting her to extra on-line hate for merely advocating for higher issues for the group? She’s your star participant, the rationale your tickets and merchandise gross sales are up. Actually the rationale this group continues to be related regardless of the whole lot previous gamers say about it.”

One other person commented,

“Smells like retaliation to me and I hope the WNBPA steps in. Standing all the time with Angel!”

Reese is in a three-year contract with the Midwest primarily based workforce and may use her participant possibility totally free company in 2027. It stays to be seen if she’ll spend the remainder of her profession in Chicago; nonetheless, it doesn’t appear possible. Loads of groups may gain advantage from Reese’s domination within the put up, capability to fill seats along with her star energy and her likability amongst different gamers. And we’re positive her followers will comply with her wherever she finally ends up subsequent.