Sky HC Issues Vague Angel Reese Injury Update as Locker Room Fallout Pushes Toward Trade Rumors

Nothing is going Angel Reese’s way right now. Once dreaming of driving the Chicago Sky into the playoffs, she’s seen those hopes dashed in a defeat-filled 2025 season. Now, instead of celebrating a postseason spot, she’s openly sparring with her team, even hinting at walking away. Her words were blunt but honest, delivered without hesitation. The WNBA community, however, received them differently.

Critics have open-mouthedly called her public outcry a big sin. Rodney Rikai called her entitled, claiming she’s not even the best in the position she plays in. Her teammates are delivering an unspoken verdict. Atkins and Reese sat tight-lipped next to each other in the Aces game. She’s become the villain once again. To make matters worse, her back injury has flared up again. Her one-and-a-half-game ban turned into a two-game benching for Chi-town Barbie. But what did her coach offer? Nothing instrumental.

Following an 80-66 loss against the Aces, Chicago Sky head coach Tyler Marsh gave an update on Angel Reese’s injury. However, it sounded merely like coach-speak. “Yeah, she reported to us, during pregame, and so in conjunction with Angel and the medical staff, we wanted to be as cautious as possible. So that was the decision,” he said. Her back injury first appeared following the 103-86 loss to the Mystics on July 29. She made a steady recovery, returning to the court on August 19.

However, she was not fit to play the whole game and just played 26 minutes against the Seattle Storm. “It felt great,” Reese said when she returned to the court. “I love basketball. It’s my pride and joy. Sitting on the sidelines is no fun. Sitting and just doing rehab every single day is no fun.” Her team was also not doing well when she sat out. Reese was out for 20 days thanks to injury and rehab, and Chicago suffered 6 losses out of 7 games contested. That back injury has come to bite her again. Yet the Chicago head coach offers no real insight into her condition.

When asked what steps they are taking to prevent it from flaring up again, Marsh had a stock reply ready again, “Yeah, I think we’ve got to gauge it day by day. Obviously, with two games remaining, I know Angel wants to be out there, and so we’ll continue to work with her and our medical team and see what the best method of approach is moving forward.” These stock answers only fueled the trade chatter surrounding the Sky star.

Angel Reese’s fiery comments in her Chicago Tribune interview sparked one of the hottest debates in the WNBA right now. Everyone picked sides, with some even signaling a crack between the Chi-town Barbie and the Windy City. While the 22-year-old forward made it clear that she hopes to spend her entire career with the Sky, her ultimatum to the front office about building a contender or risk losing her has shaken the franchise. Reese’s words didn’t sit well inside the locker room. Fueling speculations that her relationship with the Sky might already be beyond repair.

Her one-half suspension against the Aces just added fuel to the fire. It’s no wonder that the rumor mill is running at full speed, with fans already drawing up trade proposals online. One of the viral scenarios even linked Reese to the WNBA’s newest expansion franchise, the Portland Fire. While such deals remain pure fantasy for now, the buzz shows how valuable Reese is perceived around the league. She’s still under contract through 2026 with a team option for 2027, but uncertainty is brewing. Add in Courtney Vandersloot’s subtle jab at Reese’s comments about age, and it feels like this drama is only heating up. Whether there’s truth to the rumors remains to be seen. But for now, Angel Reese continues to battle her back troubles along with stingy views of others.

How the team saw Reese’s suspension

Angel Reese’s interview has become one of the WNBA’s biggest storylines this season. The Sky forward didn’t hold back, saying, “I’m not satisfied with what we did this year. We need to get good players.” She questioned Courtney Vandersloot’s return after her ACL injury and doubted Rachel Banham and Hailey Van Lith’s ability to anchor a playoff team. Those words triggered a team meeting, and the Sky suspended Reese for the first half of their matchup against the Las Vegas Aces. The organization called her comments “detrimental” to team chemistry, showing how deeply the remarks shook Chicago.

Reese asked apology from her teammates, claiming her words were taken out of context. Still, reports show that many players felt “unhappy with the direct attacks.” Coach Tyler Marsh admitted the suspension was a “top-down” decision. Guard Ariel Atkins added, “Ownership handled it how they see fit.” This raised a bigger question about trust between Reese and the Sky.

Reportedly, before the Aces game, when asked who informed her about the suspension, Reese pointed at a PR staffer, who redirected the question. When asked about Marsh’s support, the staffer shut things down again. This silence suggested either that Reese had no interest in speaking or that the Sky wanted her quiet. That image only fueled speculation of lingering division despite public claims of moving on.