WNBA star Angel Reese faced backlash for her recent comments made in an interview with the Chicago Tribune earlier this week. Now, she’s facing a backlash from her team after they announced a first-half suspension for the 23-year-old forward.
“The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player,” the team announced in a public statement. “We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball.”
The reaction is gaining attention from all across the basketball community as a signal of growing tension between Reese and the Chicago Sky organization ahead of Sunday’s match against the Las Vegas Aces.
“Because of statements detrimental to the team made by Angel Reese during league-mandated media, she will not play in the first half of the game on September 7 against the Las Vegas Aces,” the statement said. “This matter has been handled and resolved internally, and we are moving forward as a team.”
Of course, Reese was already set to miss tonight’s game after getting called for her eighth technical of the season in Wednesday’s 88-64 win over the Connecticut Sun. She won’t return until the weekend, though it remains unclear how much she’ll actually play.
It’s been a frustrating season for the Sky, who currently sit 11th in the standings at 10-30. Amid growing frustrations, Reese felt compelled to vent in a frustrated and candid rant, where she pushed her team to sign better players in the offseason, or else she’d be looking for a way out.
Specifically, the two-time All-Star pointed out Chicago’s situation at point guard, calling out her teammate, Courtney Vandersloot, by name as she demanded someone “younger with some experience” and a player who is “willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”
It was a shocking statement from the seventh overall pick that has garnered significant criticism from fans, coaches, and analysts alike. While she did end up apologizing publicly for the quote, the damage is already done, and she can’t take it back now.
While the suspension is only for half a game, it’s a strong show of condemnation from the Sky, and a reminder that not even their biggest star is immune from the consequences of crossing the line.
With averages of 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, Reese is the leading player for her team and the one whom they have visions of building their future around. While she’s still developing her skills, she can’t carry the Sky on her own, and her patience is starting to wear thin. We first saw the signs when she slapped her coach’s clipboard back in July.
Besides the struggles on the court, she’s also been engaged in a cold war with her team’s GM, who previously called on her to “be better” after a 2-6 start. Her comments to the Chicago Tribune are likely a direct (albeit delayed) response to those comments, and could hint at some internal turmoil.
Regardless of what happens in the offseason, this dynamic remains a major storyline and threatens to destabilize an already fragile situation in Chicago. As one of the faces of the league, it would be damaging for Sky to lose Angel Reese, and they have to figure out how to rectify the situation before things get worse.
