DURHAM, N.C. — After months of speculation, tension, and unanswered questions, Angel Reese has finally drawn a clear line under one of the most turbulent chapters of her young WNBA career. Speaking Friday from USA Basketball’s national team training camp, the two-time All-Star confirmed she plans to return to the Chicago Sky, putting to rest fears that the rocky end to the 2025 season may have marked her final appearance in a Sky uniform.
“I’m under contract, so yes, I plan on returning to the Sky,” Reese said, calm but firm. The statement may sound simple, but its impact is anything but. Coming after suspensions, public criticism, and weeks of silence, Reese’s words signal a decisive attempt to reset both her relationship with the franchise and the narrative surrounding her future.
The 2025 season was a paradox for Reese. On the court, she was dominant. She led the WNBA in rebounds per game (12.6) and double-doubles (23), while also topping the Sky in scoring (14.7 points) and assists (3.7). Few players in the league carried as much responsibility — or delivered as consistently — as Reese did.
Off the court, however, cracks began to show.
Reese’s relationship with the Sky grew strained after comments she made to the Chicago Tribune, where she voiced concern about the team’s point guard situation and emphasized the need for elite talent moving forward. The remarks were widely interpreted as a challenge to the organization — and possibly her teammates — and quickly became a flashpoint inside the franchise.
The Sky labeled the comments “detrimental to the team” and suspended Reese for the first half of their next game. Although the team later cited a back injury as the reason for her absence, Reese did not play in the second half of that contest or in the final three games of the season. The timing fueled speculation that the situation was more serious than publicly acknowledged.
Without Reese, Chicago collapsed. The Sky went 1–13 in games she missed, finishing 10–34 overall and missing the playoffs for the second consecutive year. The numbers only reinforced what many already believed: whatever the internal conflict, the Sky are a dramatically different — and weaker — team without Angel Reese.
In the weeks that followed, Reese took responsibility. She issued apologies both publicly and privately to her teammates, working to repair trust inside the locker room. By September, general manager Jeff Pagliocca made it clear the franchise wanted to move forward, not apart.
“She’s an ascending young talent in this league,” Pagliocca said. “We went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it.”
Reese echoed that sentiment Friday, emphasizing renewed communication with head coach Tyler Marsh and the front office. Her rookie contract runs through 2026, with a team option for 2027 — meaning Chicago still controls the immediate future of its franchise cornerstone.
Perhaps just as important, Reese confirmed she is fully recovered from the back injury that limited her to 30 games in 2025. Now healthy, she finds herself back on a national stage, participating in USA Basketball’s senior national team training camp for the first time since college.
Surrounded by stars like Caitlin Clark, JuJu Watkins, and Paige Bueckers, Reese spoke openly about her Olympic ambitions. “I’ve dreamed of playing for the Olympics,” she said, pointing specifically to Los Angeles as a personal goal. The moment, she added, is not something she takes for granted.
For the Sky, Reese’s commitment offers stability after chaos. For Reese, it’s a chance at redemption — to prove that leadership, growth, and accountability can coexist with competitiveness and ambition.
But as the 2026 season approaches, one question still looms large: is this the start of a true reconciliation — or simply the calm before the next storm in one of the WNBA’s most closely watched careers?
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