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The next time Angel Reese speaks to the media might be as a member of a different team.
After previously saying she would be made available at a later date, the Chicago Sky said Monday that Reese, along with Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins, will no longer conduct exit interviews, according to Front Office Sports.
The Sky’s miserable 10-34 season finished with a loss to the Liberty on Sept. 11, and Reese may try to force a trade if she doesn’t like how the team’s offseason goes.
Reese, 23, ignited a controversy earlier this month when she went off about the state of the Sky, declaring she was “not settling for the same s–t we did this year” in an interview with the Chicago Tribune.
She also alluded to potentially asking for a trade if the team didn’t improve its roster.
“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese told the Tribune. “I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
Reese said getting great players was “a non-negotiable” for her and took aim at specific teammates, including the 36-year-old Vandersloot.
She also wondered whether Rachel Banham and Hailey Van Lith could help shoulder the load on a playoff team.
“We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at,” Reese said. “I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that. 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.”
Reese tried to walk back her remarks, but the Sky suspended her for a half over her comments that were “detrimental to the team.”
She did not end up playing in any of the team’s final four games.
Reese was the No. 7 overall pick out of LSU in the 2024 WNBA Draft. She averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds this season after averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds as a rookie. Both rebounding averages were tops in the league.
