No Place To Turn For Chicago Sky As Angel Reese’s Stance Highlights $830K Front Office Failure

“I’m not settling for the same sh– we did this year.” It’s hard to deal with a losing season, and it’s even harder to be one of the worst teams in the league, but does that justify what Angel Reese had to say today? The Chicago Sky star, before her game against the Connecticut Sun, called out her franchise and her teammates for how this season has gone. And in the end? She even alluded to a possible change in jerseys over the next few seasons.

But is it really on Jeff Pagliocca’s head? It’s not like the Chicago Sky GM was stagnant in his approach to the 2025 season. After seeing just how much young frontcourt talent the roster had, Pagliocca was quick to fill the backcourt with some stable veteran presences. In theory, the moves made sense. Chicago would run the offense through Reese and Cardoso, while having dependable pieces in the backcourt.

However, according to analysts Ben Pickman, Sabreena Merchant, and Zena Keita, he could’ve made better moves. “It was the wrong flood. They did not need a flood of veterans. They needed a flood of shooters. If you’re going to have that much presence inside, you need something to move the defense outwards.” Keita said on the latest episode of the No Offseason podcast. And it’s true. Three-point shooting is something that the Sky has struggled tremendously with. They’re only averaging 33.33% from deep on 20 shots a night, while their opposition averages nearly 37% on 25 shots instead.

Pagliocca spent $830K worth of cap space to try and make Chicago into contenders this year. Needless to say, it didn’t work out. Even though Chicago’s post play is incredibly strong, they’re missing out on wins because of a lack of spacing. Not to mention, their star duo might not even make it past this off-season if things get bad.

Throughout this entire season, analysts have cast a shadow of doubt on whether Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese are a good fit together. When they share the floor, the Chicago Sky frontcourt ends up with a -11.6 net rating as per Ben Pickman. Sure, there’s a lot of potential there – having two bigs that can facilitate for each other is always a blessing. But eventually, Chicago will need to prioritize and move forward with who they think can carry the franchise forward.

According to Pickman, it’s not even a question. “To me, I still think you kind of want to build around Angel and have her be the player that is your franchise centerpiece.” He said, suggesting that the Sky constructs its roster around the six-foot-two center. “And you potentially look to move Camila and recoup some draft capital, young players, some shooting. Figure out the rest of your roster accordingly, because I don’t know if those players can currently play together.”

It would be a bold, maybe even outrageous, move from the Chicago Sky, but rebuilds are never easy. Is sacrificing Cardoso going to be worth it for Pagliocca’s team? It’s not that clear, and right now is not the time to think about it. That’s because Chicago’s facing some serious locker room issues at the moment because of Angel Reese’s comments, despite the young forward’s attempts to clear the air.

Angel Reese’s Comments Force the Chicago Sky Locker Room Into a Time of Crisis

As an athlete, calling out your teammates publicly is usually frowned upon. But Angel Reese threw caution to the wind and held her teammates accountable while talking to the Chicago Tribune before the game against Connecticut on September 3.

The six-foot-two center pulled absolutely no punches as she broke down the current state of the Chicago Sky, and questioned some of her teammates and their capabilities. She called for better free agency signings and for her teammates to step up to the mark when necessary. Not to mention, Reese ended it with a huge bomb-shaped ultimatum. “I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me.”

So, how did Chicago respond? Reports started emerging about many players in the Sky locker room being livid about AR’s brutal callout. Head coach Tyler Marsh made sure to tell the public that the situation is being handled internally. “We are aware of it,” Marsh said at a pregame press conference. “We’re addressing it in-house, as currently speaking. So, that’s where we’ll stay right now.”

After winning against Connecticut, Reese took the initiative to apologize to her teammates and fans for the comments she made. “I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued, about what was said.” AR said in the post-game presser, but from the outside looking in, the damage was already done.

Amidst their below-par season, Reese’s comments have heightened the crisis surrounding the Chicago Sky. And it has now turned into a crucial matter for the franchise and all eyes will be on them to see how they navigate themselves out of this dark cloud looming over them.