WNBA analyst Rachel DeMita was fully expecting Angel Reese to part ways with Chicago this way.

She said as much on her podcast Courtside Club, noting that Reese’s exit from the Sky felt inevitable long before Monday’s blockbuster trade to the Atlanta Dream.

“There was clearly some friction between her and the franchise, and it seems like Angel Reese is very happy to be going to Atlanta. But the thing that did surprise me about this trade is the details of it,” DeMita said.

To those unaware, the friction DeMita referenced had been building for months, as Angel Reese and the Sky kept butting heads to the point where fans began wearing “Free Angel” shirts to games.

The tension peaked last September when Reese publicly called out the franchise over its roster construction.

“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” she told the Chicago Tribune. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”

She was suspended for half a game shortly after and later apologized, but the damage had already been done.

To make things worse, the Sky fired head coach Teresa Witherspoon after the season, a move that stung, given how close Reese reportedly was with her.

Chicago finished 10-34 in 2025, tying for the worst record in the league, and Angel Reese had shouldered most of the offensive load without a supporting cast capable of matching her level. She led the Sky in scoring, rebounds, and assists last season, averaging 14.7 points, 12.6 boards, and 3.7 assists per game.

Why the Atlanta Dream Were the Right Landing Spot for Angel Reese

Rachel DeMita did not stop at explaining why the split made sense, but she was also taken aback by what Chicago settled for in return.

“Two first-round picks for Angel Reese,” she said. “That is it.”

However, DeMita’s surprise was understandable, as Atlanta got one of the league’s most marketable stars while surrendering no players and no immediate assets.

The Dream finished the 2025 regular season at 30-14, first in the Eastern Conference, before falling to the Indiana Fever in the first round of the playoffs.

DeMita sees that roster as a foundation Angel Reese can elevate.

“If they’re able to keep the roster at all, similar to what they had last year, this Atlanta Dream team is definitely going to be a scary squad,” she said.

Atlanta’s core — led by Allisha Gray, Rhyne Howard, Brionna Jones, and Naz Hillmon — gives Reese the kind of talent around her that she never had in Chicago. For the first time in her WNBA career, she will not be the team’s entire offense.

The Sky will receive first-round picks in 2027 and 2028, with both sides also swapping second-round picks in 2028.

Chicago now holds five first-round picks over the next three drafts, and that’s enough capital to build around Kamilla Cardoso and begin a genuine rebuild.

That being said, Angel Reese did not request the trade, but the Sky did work closely with her team to find the right destination, and both parties parted without contentiousness.

Her rookie contract runs through 2026, with the Dream holding a team option for 2027.

Read more at She Got Game!

Written by

Joy Bassy

Edited by

Arvind Rao