Sky suspend star for 1st half of Aces game for ‘detrimental’ comments
The Aces won’t face Angel Reese in the first half of their matchup against the Chicago Sky on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena.
The Sky suspended the second-year forward for half a game for comments she made that were “detrimental to the team,” the organization announced Friday.
Reese, in an interview with the Chicago Tribune that was published Wednesday, said she’s “not settling for the same (expletive) we did this year,” in reference to the Sky missing the playoffs for the second straight season.
The No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of LSU also said she “might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me” if Chicago doesn’t make serious improvements to its roster in free agency.
Reese said after the Sky’s win over Connecticut on Wednesday that her comments were taken out of context. She publicly apologized and said she had already apologized to the team.
“The Chicago Sky values the safety, respect, and well-being of every player. We are committed to accountability so our players can stay focused on playing basketball,” the team said in a statement announcing Reese’s punishment. “This matter has been handled and resolved internally, and we are moving forward as a team.”
Reese, 23, is averaging 14.7 points and a league-leading 12.6 rebounds per game this season. She was already set to miss the Sky’s matchup against the Indiana Fever on Friday. She earned a one-game suspension after receiving her eighth technical foul of the season Wednesday.
Chicago coach Tyler Marsh, an Aces assistant during the team’s back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023, didn’t want to get into the specifics of the decision to suspend Reese for the first half of Sunday’s game.
“I think that the matter has been resolved and I’d just like to focus on tonight,” Marsh said Friday. “The comments were the comments. I think everyone had a chance to see it.”
Reese has previously cited Aces star A’ja Wilson as a mentor. Point guard Chelsea Gray also played with Reese this summer for the Rose BC in the 3-on-3 offseason league Unrivaled.
Gray, in an appearance on Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe’s podcast “A Touch More” in April, sung Reese’s praises and hinted she could use more surrounding talent.
“I saw the potential of where she could go as a post player when she’s paired with a good guard,” Gray said. “She stays after late. She gets shots up. She got better. You saw her progressively get better. I would like to think that part of it was playing with me, but I’m never going to be the one that takes credit for that. … I understood the way she motivates herself and players, she’s gonna talk (expletive) 24/7 and she’s going to get everybody else hyped.”
Contact Callie Fin at cfin@reviewjournal.com. Follow @CallieJLaw on X.