The Chicago Sky’s 2026 training camp roster is set, but for the first time in years, one name is conspicuously absent, signaling the true end of an era.

“A look at our camp crew,” shared Chicago on their X handle as they listed out the names of their 19-player roster that didn’t include the name of a certain player we are used to seeing – Angel Reese.

The names of players like Rachel Banham, Kamilla Cardoso, DiJonai Carrington, Rickea Jackson, Gabriela Jaquez, and a whole bunch of old and new players were there, except for the Chicago Sky’s resident Bayou Barbie, who now has found a new home elsewhere.

But it’s something we will have to get used to now because Reese has been traded to Atlanta in exchange for two future first‑round picks. It was also the timing of the deal, which was barely four weeks before the start of the 2026 season, that caught everyone off guard, disrupting preseason preparations.

The trade shocked fans, who questioned the decision to move the franchise’s cornerstone, and her absence will undoubtedly be felt, given the star power she brought to the team.

Chicago had to fill up the space in return and chose to do so by bringing in some new recruits like DiJonai Carrington, Jacy Sheldon, and Skylar Diggins.

Many believed that it was Angel’s public diatribe against the Chicago management that paved the way for her premature departure from the team and that their relationship had slowly started to sour.

Reese ‘Grateful’ To Chicago Sky But Looking Forward To Her New Life With Atlanta

Angel Reese is excited about this new chapter of her life, and that was evident from her interactions with the Atlanta reporters. She even went on to speak kindly of her time with Chicago.

“I’m always going to be grateful for that because I did experience a lot of great things. I enjoyed being able to grow within my first two years, but I wanted more. I love to win, I love to compete, and I wanted to be surrounded by people who can make me better,” Reese said on how, despite having a decent run with Chicago, she wanted more.

While Reese’s individual numbers were impressive, averaging 14.1 points and a league-leading 12.9 rebounds to produce 49 double-doubles in 64 games, it rarely translated to team success, as the Sky went just 21-43 in those contests. The trade now leaves Chicago with five first-round picks over the next three seasons to build a more cohesive winner.

And that is something the Atlanta management will look to extract from her when she lights up the court. The two-time rebounding champion has made a career of 42.1% shooter from the field, 18.4% shooter from beyond the arc, and 74.6% shooter from the free-throw line, and will look to add on those figures in her new team.

For Angel, the Chicago Sky is now a thing of the past as she looks to find herself with a winning team. The Sky had been dismal in their last two years with a 10-34 record in the last year itself, and for Reese, it just wasn’t working out.

Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky might have gone their separate ways, but not without writing a story of their own, where Angel did actually soar, but the team as a collective failed to deliver.