Angel Reese will not be allowed to play in the first half of the Chicago Sky’s game against the Las Vegas Aces on September 7, the team said Friday.
The decision follows Reese’s critiques of coach Tyler Marsh and teammates in an interview with the Chicago Tribune, which the organization characterized as being “detrimental to the team.”
“The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player,” a team statement said. “We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball.”
Reese’s public scrutiny of the Sky is nothing new for the franchise, which has a long history of star players ripping the organization. The difference here was that Reese publicly criticized her teammates.
Among several other comments, Reese questioned if veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot was capable of returning from injury after tearing her ACL seven games into the season.
“I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that,” Reese told the Tribune. “We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”
The report also said Reese didn’t believe guards Rachel Banham or Hailey Van Lith were “better prepared” to lead a playoff team.
Ahead of the team’s 88–64 win over the Connecticut Sun on September 3, Marsh said they were aware of the story and were handling it “in-house.” Reese is currently serving a one-game suspension after receiving her eighth technical foul of the season and will not play in the Sky’s game against the Indiana Fever on Friday.
Multiple league sources told Front Office Sports a player meeting was expected to address Reese’s comments which displeased her teammates. Following the Sky’s win over the Sun Reese was asked if she was “frustrated” with the organization or in general. After expressing frustration with herself, she apologized to her teammates.
“I’m probably frustrated with myself right now,” Reese said. “I think the language is taken out of context. I didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole season. They’ve busted their ass just like I busted my ass. “They showed up through thick and thin with me when nobody could see anything. I would apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued.”
Reese will be entering the third year of her rookie-scale contract, which comes with a team option for the fourth year. According to the Tribune story, Reese’s belief is that the entire team needs to be overhauled around her and Kamilla Cardoso.
However, league sources have indicated to FOS that the relationship between Reese and the franchise may be irreparable.
