Angel Reese addressed her move from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream during media availability ahead of the WNBA Finals, saying Chicago traded her and that she was able to work with the organization on her preferred destination. Atlanta also wanted her, she said, and the arrangement suited both sides.
Asked what role she played in the deal, Reese initially hesitated before explaining that she learned she was being traded. The exchange did not establish whether she had previously asked to leave Chicago. The question has drawn attention after Reese recently said she wanted to come to Atlanta and described taking control of her own future.
The source reports that ESPN journalists Alexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews cited anonymous sources when they reported at the time of the trade that Reese had not requested it and that there was no contention between her and Chicago. Their account said the Sky worked with her representatives to identify a new team. The source’s author questions whether that reporting gives a complete explanation, noting that the sources were not identified. The material provided does not independently resolve the disagreement between a formal trade request and other expressions of dissatisfaction.
Chicago selected Reese seventh overall in the 2024 draft after trading up one spot. The source says the Sky sent Minnesota a 2025 second-round pick and a right to swap first-round picks in 2026 as part of that move. It also describes a later transaction in which Minnesota obtained Chicago’s 2026 first-round selection in exchange for the 11th pick in the 2025 draft. Minnesota used Chicago’s pick to select Olivia Miles, whom the source identifies as the season’s unanimous Rookie of the Year.
After two seasons with Chicago, Reese was traded to Atlanta for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, according to the source. Before the trade, she had publicly urged Chicago to improve its roster. In September 2025, she told the Chicago Tribune that acquiring better players was a priority and said she might need to pursue another direction if circumstances did not improve. The Sky suspended her for half a game over comments the team characterized as detrimental. Reese said she apologized to teammates. She did not play for Chicago again, with the source reporting that a back injury kept her sidelined after the suspension. The trade followed the next April.
Reese also discussed her approach to winning. She said she seeks to win wherever she plays and described herself as bringing a winning mentality to each situation. The Dream had won 30 games in the season before she joined, the source reports, and Atlanta reached the Finals this season.
Asked about comparing Atlanta with her transfer from Maryland to LSU, Reese said expectations for LSU’s championship prospects had been limited. The source provides context that LSU had finished the prior season 26-6, placed second in the SEC and ranked ninth in the final AP poll. It says LSU entered Reese’s first season ranked 16th. Maryland, her previous school, had gone 23-9 and reached the Sweet 16 in her final season there.
The source also notes that Chicago had reached the playoffs for five consecutive seasons from 2019 through 2023 and won the WNBA title in 2021, before missing the postseason in both of Reese’s seasons. Those results frame the contrast between her time in Chicago and Atlanta’s current Finals run, but they do not by themselves establish why the Sky chose to trade her or how much her public comments influenced the decision.
