The Windy City has been experiencing a storm lately, and no, it’s not a weather update. Six days ago, the 2024 seventh overall pick, Angel Reese, gave her blueprint to build the Chicago Sky after consecutively missing the playoffs in her two years with the team. But coming from a polarizing player like the Chi-Town Barbie, the words were taken out of context, and how! Here is how the story unfolded:

• • Angel Reese’s Chicago Tribune interview: “I’m not settling for the same s−−− we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me… 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.”
  • The storm: The forward’s words became fuel for the fire as reports of her not agreeing with the team’s vision made rounds. However, HC Tyler Marsh only commented that they are looking into the situation internally.
  • Reese’s apology: “I think the language was taken out of context, and I really didn’t intentionally mean to put down my teammates because they’ve been through this with me throughout the whole year.”
  • Chicago’s verdict: Knowing that public comments on a franchise already trying not to drown could do irreparable damage to the name, Reese was fined, reportedly, $800 and half a game versus the Las Vegas Aces.

The Sky locker room has also been divided after Reese’s Chicago Tribune interview. But like many are choosing to believe Reese’s wish to return to a contending name in negative connotation, some agree with the sophomore’s vision for the franchise, including host Andrew Haubner of the No Cap Space WBB podcast. Recently, he summarized, “Angel wasn’t going after her teammates. Angel was going after the front office and saying the front office and Jeff (Paglioca) needs to figure this stuff out, but instead, we got focused on the player component and not the broader critique. And that’s why we are where we are at this point.”

After a losing 13-27 record last season, the Sky returned wanting to be a better team. In the free agency, they signed veteran names, including veteran point guard Courtney Vandersloot, to add leadership to the rather young team. However, with the guard sidelined with a season-ending injury after just seven games, they have been in free fall. If you look at it that way, Reese’s frustration is understandable after coming from LSU, where she won the National title in her first year at Baton Rouge itself.

However, what got her on the hook was the impression that she was not happy with what the franchise had done so far. When the Chicago Sky promoted Jeff Pagliocca to GM in October 2023, they were far from their 2021 WNBA championship form. But in Chicago, success is only visible when you win, and Reese and Paglioca knew it. While the team had no clear direction or plan for navigating their way out of a stale state, Paglioca came in with a plan. But that meant starting from scratch.

He traded Skylar Diggins-Smith, Nneka Ogwumike, and Kahleah Copper and brought in new, young faces, including Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese, in the 2024 WNBA draft. However, they missed making it to the playoffs for the first time since 2018 last season. Moreover, the noise made by flagrant foul controversies, former guard Chennedy Carter’s behavior, and difficulties forming a great locker room culture only made them look like a team that cannot attract talented players. Unfortunately, Reese’s drama has become yet another page in the story of how the Sky is dissolving. 

So, yes, people found a point to latch onto, took Reese’s comments out of context, and suddenly, no one was remotely interested in whether something is actually wrong with the front office. Defeats the purpose when you think the No. 7’s comments had a bleak reality.

“I’ve always been a player for the team… Every team I’ve been on, I’ve done what was needed to win. I don’t care about anything else. I’m doing whatever I need for the team,” she had shared previously. Honestly, we have seen that version of her under Kim Mulkey at LSU as well. So, now, when Chicago looks set for the second-worst in franchise history, Reese listed the steps that had to be followed. But what happened? She was the one under the scrutiny lens. Though it isn’t the ideal step for any franchise, especially with their star player.

As Tyler DeLuca put it in the same podcast, “We’re talking different currencies here. One, first off, we see star players do this all the time without a ring. This is not a new thing across pro sports—like this is not a new thing by any means when it comes to star players using leverage. Is it new in the WNBA? Like this doesn’t happen in the WNBA. But you want to know why the currency is different in WNBA? Because frankly, motion in the WNBA is the biggest current of all right now. And Angel Reese had motion to go up against anybody right now.”

And yes, historically, WNBA players haven’t really used their platforms to challenge front offices or make bold demands like NBA players do. But in today’s WNBA, the most valuable thing isn’t a ring—it’s popularity and momentum. Reese has got both. On the court, too, she’s averaging team highs of 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

With her, the Windy City has defeated top teams like the Lynx and Liberty. But when she was out before the All-Star break, they went 1–9. So, the Chi-Town Barbie is valuable for the Sky, no doubt. But now, does the drama mean the Sky’s failing as a franchise? Contrastingly, the Indiana Fever is seemingly doing something very different.

After costly missteps, Sky needs to learn from Indy

The Indiana Fever has faced multiple injuries throughout the regular season this year. However, they have still managed to make it to the playoffs despite Caitlin Clark’s offensive prowess not leading them. But that’s where the Fever have succeeded in the front office. “When Amber [Cox] and I started talking from the beginning, we started talking about people first,” shared Kelly Krauskopf. And they did well by never sacrificing the locker room culture.

“I think initially it did start with, every one of these players [we’re adding] has a high level of character and integrity. I’m just a real proponent of, when shots don’t fall, what do you fall back on? Your culture,” Kelly added. And yes, Indy does keep its players first. Even when DeWanna Bonner felt she wasn’t really a fit, they waived her. Every player, be it from free agency, a trade, or on a hardship contract, the policy is the same—to keep up with the locker room culture.

“They know what it takes to win, they know what it takes to get to the Finals, they know what it takes to win championships,” Caitlin Clark shared during the offseason. “I think it’s exactly what we needed in our locker room. But also they’re not just really good basketball players, they’re great leaders and great people and I know the front office prioritized that.” But this ain’t exactly the same for the Sky as a franchise.

And as per Haubner, had Clark been in Reese’s position, people would have listened. “If Caitlin Clark is in Chicago and this is still going on and Caitlin were to reach this way, it’s not within her character to do so… Like if Caitlin did this for Chicago, Caitlin would be right and we’d be saying she’s right. You know, like this is not a situation in which Chicago necessarily did right by her, right?” Andrew shared, further adding how the Sky butchered the Sonia Citron pick.

“And there is a fair argument to be made here that offloading the pick—that the pick that ended up becoming Sonia Citron—I think you could argue that the pick and deciding to go in on winning now, you can make it a charitable defense of Jeff that part of that was done to appease these two young players and want to win in a way they wanted to win,” he added.

The Sky had given up their No. 3 overall pick this season to the Mystics in exchange for Ariel Atkins. The same pick ended up being Sonia Citron, a potential Rookie of the Year candidate. While Atkins is a decent player, she’s been battling injuries. And not just that, to acquire Hailey Van Lith, the Sky gave the Lynx complete ownership of their 2026 first-round pick. But now it’s about the future—a championship win, something they fired former HC Teresa Weatherspoon for. But can they get it any sooner?