The WNBA landscape shifted dramatically this week when the Chicago Sky executed a major trade sending star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream. The deal, finalized on Monday, sends the 2024 top-10 draft pick to Atlanta in exchange for two first-round selections in 2027 and 2028, along with second-round swap rights in 2028.
Reese broke her silence on the move during her Victoria's Secret campaign appearance in New York City, expressing unbridled enthusiasm for her new basketball home. "Yes! Atlanta Dream, what's up? I really dreamed of this moment," Reese said. "I'm just living in my Barbie Dreamhouse. I'm just having so much fun. Life is good, life is great and I'm excited for this new journey and this new city, and more to come."
The trade represents a significant acquisition for Atlanta, which finished tied for the second-best record in the WNBA last season alongside the Las Vegas Aces. The Dream ended their campaign just four games behind champion New York Liberty but suffered playoff disappointment with an early exit against the Indiana Fever. Team executives hope Reese's arrival will provide the missing piece for a championship push in 2026.
Reese's departure from Chicago follows two seasons of growing tension between the player and organization. The relationship deteriorated significantly after the Sky fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, whom Reese publicly supported. "I'm heartbroken. I'm literally lost for words knowing what this woman meant to me in such a pivotal point in my life. She was the only person that believed in me. The one that trusted me," Reese wrote following Weatherspoon's dismissal.
The situation worsened during the 2025 season as Chicago failed to show improvement, prompting Reese to voice frustration about the team's roster construction. "I'm not settling for the same [expletive] we did this year," Reese stated publicly. "We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That's a non-negotiable for me."
Those comments resulted in a temporary suspension from team activities, after which Reese issued an apology. League sources indicate the Sky organization ultimately determined the relationship with their star forward had become untenable, despite her status as one of the WNBA's most followed athletes on social media.
The substantial return package of future draft capital made the decision easier for Chicago's front office. Reese now joins an Atlanta franchise that believes her talent and marketability can elevate them to championship contention, while Chicago begins a rebuild centered around future assets.
