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The Chicago Sky’s 2024 trade up in the draft to select Angel Reese was widely believed around the WNBA to be an overpay.
That perception was strengthened Monday when the Sky dealt Reese to the Atlanta Dream for two first-round picks.
The Sky originally had the No. 3 and No. 8 overall picks in the 2024 draft, but at the last minute general manager Jeff Pagliocca traded up in the draft to acquire the No. 7 overall pick from the Minnesota Lynx.
In the process he gave up substantial draft stock, including a 2026 pick swap that ultimately became the No. 2 overall pick. Minnesota, a perennial power in the WNBA, will be able to select one of TCU guard Olivia Miles, Spanish forward Awa Fam, or UConn guard Azzi Fudd on April 13.
In Monday’s deal, the Dream received Reese and the right to swap 2028 second-round picks, while the Sky received the Dream’s 2027 and 2028 first-round picks. Both of those picks will likely amount to middle-of-the-pack selections, because the draft lottery is based on a cumulative result of teams’ previous two seasons. The Dream, who went 30–14 in 2025, finished tied with the Las Vegas Aces for the second-best record in the league and will look to build upon that finish this season.
For Reese, she came into a losing franchise led by first-year coach Teresa Weatherspoon in 2024. Locker room issues became a theme throughout the season, reaching a fever pitch by the end of the year, and Weatherspoon was fired after a single season in charge.
In 2025, with Tyler Marsh at the helm, the team once again floundered, struggling with injuries and a lack of clear direction. Two-time WNBA champion Courtney Vandersloot tore her ACL early in the season, and Olympic gold medalist Ariel Atkins was absent throughout with multiple injuries.
By the end of the season, Reese’s doubts about her future with the franchise became public when she questioned several teammates and Marsh in a newspaper interview and was subsequently suspended for half a game. She ultimately never suited up for the Sky again, missing the second half of the Sky’s game against the Aces on Sept. 7 and the team’s final two games with a back injury.
Reese brought Chicago a personality the city fell in love with—her marketability paid dividends for the Sky—but on the court, the marriage didn’t benefit either party. Five picks ahead of Reese, the Sky picked center Kamilla Cardoso with the No. 3 overall pick—indicating that she, not Reese, would be the franchise centerpiece.
Cardoso and Reese were not a suitable combination long-term because of similar play styles, which led to floor-spacing issues and a lack of perimeter shooting.
In Atlanta, Reese will be surrounded by an All-Star backcourt duo in Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, assuming both free agents are back for the 2026 season.
The Dream look like the immediate winners of this trade due to Reese’s potential in head coach Karl Smesko’s system. Meanwhile, Pagliocca is tasked with getting a derailed franchise back on track.
The Sky have struggled since James Wade abruptly left to be an NBA assistant midseason in 2023.
Ownership conducted a limited coaching search that led to the hiring of Weatherspoon, a beloved Hall of Fame player but an inexperienced coach. Pagliocca, the franchise’s first general manager, was promoted from his director of skill development to GM despite having no prior experience. The common denominator in all of the moves, though, is ownership. The Sky’s poor reputation with players around the league is longstanding, as a result, going back to forced trades by Hall of Fame players Sylvia Fowles and Elena Delle Donne.
Just this past week, 2026 unrestricted free agent Bec Allen called her time in Chicago “a little bit miserable” and said that she was startled to be changing in the locker room next to a member of the public. (The Sky are opening their own practice facility later this year after years of complaints from players.)
Two years later, Pagliocca is entering the most critical free-agency period of his tenure. In the condensed window, qualifying offers and core designations began going out Monday. Negotiations can begin with free agents Wednesday, and the signing period begins Saturday.
The future of Pagliocca’s career hinges on him making the most of this trade. To do that, he has to sign stars in free agency.
