That Angel Reese trade did not come out of nowhere. The Chicago Sky-Reese drama traces back to that Chicago Tribune interview where Reese went all out. “I’m not settling for the same s—t we did this year,” she said. However, that interview included some personal shots towards the injured Courtney Vandersloot as well. “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.” Now, the 37-year-old veteran has revealed her feelings regarding this interview.
After Reese’s demand for “great players,” Vandersloot came out with a subtle response. “Contrary to what people say or think, my age is absolutely not a factor. I am coming back,” the Vandersloot said. “I’m gonna come back better than ever because that’s what I’ve done. I’ve put myself in the position to come back and compete at this age.” Well, Vandersloot has further admitted to feeling hurt because of Reese’s statements.
“I’ll say it didn’t feel good,” Vandersloot told theChicago Tribune. “I think at first it was an emotional thing, you know? There was an emotional response to it.”
Vandersloot is a Sky legend. She played in Chicago for 11 years between 2011 and 2022, capping off her career with the one and only championship in Sky history. She averaged 9 points and 12.5 assists per game in that finals series against the Mercury. Naturally, a youngster doubting her did not sit right initially. However, she understood what Reese was trying to convey with time.
“The more I think about it, I understand what she was trying to say. Do I think that it was necessary she said that? No. I think that was the biggest thing for me,” Vandersloot said. “But it was more big picture for me because I didn’t even really know the comments that she made about me until way later in the day. I just thought that it could have been handled differently.”
That was a popular opinion at the time too. There was nothing wrong in what Reese said. The organization was a mess and was voted the worst run by the players last year. They barely passed double-digit wins despite making some win-now moves in the market. All this while she was dropping 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds while earning two all star call ups. However, putting the internal problems on display for the world had some mixed reactions.
Some thought it was required to influence some change, while some opined that it should have been handled within the squad. Ultimately, the strained relationship led to a breakup and Vandersloot has announced a clear new direction for the Chicago Sky.
Things were starting to cool down. Reese announced that she planned to return to Chicago and it seemed the friction was behind them. And then the Sky dropped a bomb. As one of the first moves in the market, they traded Reese to the Atlanta Dream for two future first-round picks. However, the Sky shaped a roster worthy enough to be called their best since 2021.
They brought in Skylar Diggins and DiJonai Carrington and reunited with forward Azurá Stevens, who won a 2021 championship as well. It also acquired forward Rickea Jackson in the Atkins trade while resigning Vandersloot. They also drafted Gabriela Jacquez at No.5 in the draft to add to their firepower. Now, Vandersloot has revealed a priority requirement from all of their signees.
“The biggest thing in our conversations was we wanted people that were 100% bought in on the Chicago Sky,” Vandersloot said. “That’s how we addressed free agency. Whether it was a free agent or making a trade, we wanted to make sure that this was a place they wanted to be long-term. It wasn’t ‘if this, if that,’ one foot in, one foot out. That’s how the conversation shifted, understanding that we’re trying to build something and to do that we need complete buy-in from everyone.”
Well, that could be the reason they traded Angel Reese. Of course its a possibility and not a certainty. While she agreed to return, Reese had a few demands and had threatened to leave before. So, the Sky cut the cord instead. Now, as they head in a different direction, only time will tell whether it was the right decision.