Angel Reese Will Always Be One Step Ahead Of Caitlin Clark & Co. After Chicago Sky Fiasco, Per Analyst

Honesty often comes at a cost, and Angel Reese is living proof. After the Chicago Sky’s underwhelming season, followed by a playoff ejection, she called on the front office to bring in “great players” and even took a subtle jab at Coach Tyler Marsh, pointing out how the Valkyries have outperformed the Sky despite being “less talented on paper.” That boldness led to immediate fallout: management suspended Reese for the first half of their matchup against the Aces, citing “detrimental” comments, as Front Office Sports reported that the roster had seen her remarks and voiced frustration. Yet, there are some who think Reese’s sincerity was needed. 

More specifically, according to ESPN’s Kendra Andrews, the fallout from Reese’s remarks may mark a turning point for how the WNBA handles outspoken players or how players handle themselves on public platforms. During the September 9 episode of The Women’s Hoops Show, Andrews began, “One thing that was kind of an afterthought [when] all of this was unfolding [is]—and I wonder if you have this thought too—‘Wow, this was such great candor. This was such a great interview’,” before adding:

“It has had a crazy amount of blowback. We are never going to get a player to be this honest again…This type of honesty and this real conversation, where I don’t feel like anything she said was a lie; I think she was just very honest, and it took people aback,” she emphasized. That willingness to name grievances outright—publicly and unapologetically—is what sets her apart, even in contrast to someone like Caitlin Clark and others.

Andrews remarked, “We are not going to get that again. Players aren’t going to, they are going to say, ‘Ooh, remember what happened to Angel? Let me keep my mouth shut, I’m just going to give you routine comments and quotes. And I am gonna come on your podcasts, or I am gonna do your interview, and I am not gonna answer your questions truthfully and honestly. Because of what happened to Angel’. I felt very sad about that because it was a great recorded piece.” While dealing with such outright openness might be a new thing for the Chicago Sky, for Reese, it’s just like clockwork. Remember when she called out the league last year?

In what can only be described as a direct jab, the Sky phenom had said, “The WNBA don’t pay my bills at all. I don’t even think it pays one of my bills. Literally.” Back in March, she had also doubled down on the same take, threatening more severe consequences: “If y’all don’t give us what we want, we sittin’ out.” Her candor is rare, and Andrews rightly pointed it out. On the contrary, when we look at other players, that honesty has been absent more often than not, especially when discussing controversial matters. And even journalists acknowledge that.

Take Dijonai Carrington, for example. During Fever’s 93-69 loss to the Connecticut Sun in September last year, Carrington reportedly poked Clark in the eye. With the debate surrounding the action being in question, especially with videos suggesting intentional contact, USA Today’s Christine Brennan, very surprisingly, was the only journalist to ask the question. Initially, the Sun player completely brushed it off, but the WNBA Players’ Association called the question “designed to fuel racist, homophobic and misogynistic vitriol on social media”. As OutKick’s Dan Zaksheske later pointed out, “The players don’t want real media coverage. They want flowery, positive coverage and nothing else.” League officials were even more brutal when describing WNBA players’ knack of remaining tight-lipped.

“Unfortunately, most of our players have zero idea what real media exposure is. They don’t know what real coverage is, they have been shielded at college, and then they come to the WNBA not knowing what real questions are. Frankly, our players just don’t get it,” one such league told Brennan. But all of this is not to discredit what Clark has done till now, though. She’s worn the “Pay Us What You Owe Us” shirts alongside other All-Stars, challenged officials on the floor, and called out online hate directed at players. During the team’s Commissioner Cup win this year, Clark had even called out opponents for their hate toward her, saying, “Guys, I just know everybody in the league is sick.” 

She had also voiced her frustration toward the WNBA’s low pay that same night, referring to the $500,000 prize money: “You get more (money) for this than you do if you’re the (WNBA Finals) champion. It makes no sense. Someone tell [WNBA commissioner] Cathy [Engelbert] to help us out.” Yet, many will agree that this wasn’t exactly a breaking news-worthy revelation like Reese’s was. It was more like a reiteration of what’s already widely known.

That said, the consequences that Reese has borne make one wonder how many truly would want to follow her lead. But that comes later, for now, with Bayou Barbie on the brink, Chicago might just be digging its own grave. 

With Angel Reese on the brink, Chicago’s digging its own grave

What began as a bold call for improvement has spiraled into a public standoff between Reese and the Sky’s leadership. Some teammates, like Ariel Atkins, publicly backed the suspension as having “full support from our team,” while some others, like Elizabeth Williams, framed Reese’s comments as honest rather than malicious. Yet, it boils down to how the team suspended its best player for saying what many were already thinking.

Behind the scenes, advisors have urged Reese  “to get the hell out of there”, and at least one WNBA executive blasted the franchise as “the worst-run organization in the league” for punishing her instead of addressing the problems she flagged. The contrast with Las Vegas is striking. When Aces coach Becky Hammon shredded her own team after a humiliating loss, calling three quarters of their play “trash”, it became a turning point, propelling them toward a No. 2 playoff seed. Fans respect accountability, but the Sky chose optics over introspection, punishing Reese instead of using her comments as a springboard for change. 

If Reese walks, as multiple reports suggest, Kamilla Cardoso may not be far behind. Free agents already view the Sky warily, and this episode cements Chicago’s image as a franchise in disarray. Unless management overhauls its culture and proves it can build a contender, it will have to overspend just to fill a roster: a slow death spiral for a team that once had championship aspirations.