“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year. We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.” Those words are still echoing through the streets of Chicago. No one expected them from the face of the franchise. But that’s the reality of an athlete’s career–it’s short, and every decision matters. Angel Reese probably never imagined that speaking out about issues everyone in the community already knew would have such a big impact.

Now, throwing your teammates under the bus is never the move to take, and Angel realised it and even apologised for her comments but that didn’t stop Sky for suspending her for the first half of the game against Aces. Now since the suspension we havent seen her in action and which has made many fans believe that Angel might be on her way out this off season. A report from Dallas Hoops Journal claims that the Sky might very well be open to trade their superstar.

Mike Moradian of TheFlightMike podcast certainly had an interesting take on the whole incident. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen it in all of sports.” That might be a bit of a stretch, though, as both the WNBA and NBA have seen plenty of players unhappy with the direction their teams are headed and asking for a trade. It’s not unusual–just part of the business.

Let’s put aside the Damian Lillards and Jimmy Butlers of the world for a moment and just look at the WNBA. The Chicago Sky don’t even have to look far for examples. Elena Delle Donne, Sylvia Fowles, Kahleah Copper, and even Marina Mabrey in recent years have all pushed for trades and left the franchise. It’s a pattern that paints a bigger picture. In fact, a recent survey by The Athletic concluded that the Sky are the worst-run franchise in the league. With 40.7% of votes received, Chicago beat out the Connecticut Sun (29.6%), Los Angeles Sparks (14.8%) and Dallas Wings (7.4%).

Just look at what’s happened around the league in just the past year. Jewel Loyd walked away from the Storm, accusing the organization of bullying, which even triggered a WNBA investigation. Alysha Clark also left Seattle, pointing to issues with her teammates. And then there was Satou Sabally, who openly stated she had no interest in returning to the Wings. So, it’s safe to say Reese wouldn’t be the first star to find herself in this kind of situation.

That said, it’s not often you see a player call out a teammate so directly, and in that sense Mike isn’t wrong, it really is a rare situation. He was referring to Reese’s remark, “We can’t rely on Courtney to come back at the age that she’s at,” which isn’t the kind of comment you’d expect from the Bayou Barbie. Yes, her frustration is understandable, nobody wants to miss the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, but throwing one of the game’s all-time greats under the bus probably wasn’t the right way to handle it. As Sophie Cunningham put it, “You can’t just be saying everything you’re feeling because that is just not a good look.”

Mike further explained, “Former WNBA players are now saying Reese should never put on a Sky jersey again—that’s how bad this got after those comments. And here’s the kicker: Reese tried to walk it back, claiming her comments were taken out of context and that she didn’t mean to intentionally put down any teammates,” That said, the situation has reached such a juncture that people are already speculating her future team. And one analyst’s claims might very well come true!

A trade proposal that could change Angel Reese’s future forever

Everyone seems to have a take on where Angel Reese might land next. It’s quite clear that there will be many teams interested in her. Why wouldn’t they be? Reese is just coming off a year where she averaged a team-high 14.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game.

Tyler DeLuca, on his No Cap Space WBB podcast, even had a direct pitch for Reese’s future. “Get Paige Bueckers a big, please. Please get her a big, and Paige and Angel both on the same team. Obviously, the motion would be ridiculous from a Dallas business perspective, and wanting to go and do this. If you can’t go and draft Lauren Betts or Azzi Fudd, this to me is a no-brainer to try go and do,” DeLuca said.

The Wings opened the season with Teaira McCowan and NaLyssa Smith, but both were moved during the campaign. In their place, Myisha Hines-Allen, Luisa Geiselsoder, and Li Yueru have stepped up to cover the power forward and center spots. But let’s be real—their level just isn’t close to what Angel Reese brings.

What happens next is still up in the air, but Dallas looks like a pretty intriguing landing spot for Reese. She’s been vocal about wanting to play alongside a competent backcourt, and in Dallas, she’d get exactly that. For the Wings, it would also solve one of their biggest problems –size. Adding a rebounding machine like Reese makes perfect sense on paper. On top of that, Dallas holds a first-round pick, which could even turn into a lottery pick if things break their way. That asset could easily be used to build a trade package to bring Reese on board.

What do you think? Could we really see Reese in a Dallas jersey next season, teaming up with Paige and possibly Arike? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!