Angel Reese will suit up for the Atlanta Dream on Wednesday night against the Chicago Sky in Chicago, marking her first game back against the team that drafted her in 2024 and traded her earlier this month. The two-time WNBA All-Star said there is no bad blood before taking on her former club. “No. Just another exciting opportunity for me to be in Chicago,” Reese said. “I love my experience in Chicago.”
Reese spent her first two WNBA seasons with the Sky after being selected in the first round of the 2024 draft, quickly becoming the face of the franchise. But Chicago’s 10-34 finish last season and second straight year out of the playoffs set up a full reset, and the move sent Reese to Atlanta. “It was amazing. Seeing a lot of familiar faces on Wednesday is gonna be good to see,” she said.
The timing gives Wednesday night a sharper edge than a typical preseason date. Atlanta went 30-14 last season, and Reese said that success helped draw her in. “There’s no ceiling,” she said. “I watched them from afar last year and then being able to see the success, that’s the reason why I wanted to be able to come here, because I thought I can help them in ways, and they can help me in ways.”
That blend of ambition and familiarity is what makes the matchup worth watching for Chicago and Atlanta alike. Reese said she believes the Dream can keep climbing, adding, “I think there’s just so much more that we can do.” She also pointed to the team’s mindset: “They weren’t satisfied.”
Her return also comes with the backdrop of a strained ending in Chicago, where tensions surfaced late last season as the Sky struggled. Reese publicly criticized aspects of the team, which led to a suspension and internal friction before the trade. Atlanta’s roster gives her a fresh setting and a winning base, while Chicago gets its first look at the new chapter in the same building where her previous one began.
Reese said the fit in Atlanta feels driven by shared purpose. “Everybody’s really hungry in their own personal ways, but then coming together as a team and all (having) one goal is really important for us,” she said. For the Sky, Wednesday is another step in a reset that began with her departure. For Reese, it is the first chance to show what the trade looks like on the floor.
