One blow right after another… No, we are not describing a boxing match; that’s the story of Angel Reese’s sophomore season with the Chicago Sky. First, it was the disastrous end to her sophomore year. “We will make the playoffs next year.” This was the dream Reese laid out in September 2024. Fast forward a year, and it remains a dream. Second, tensions boiled over after Reese’s candid locker-room remarks about her teammates and roster decisions, which led to a half-game suspension and fueled headlines across the league.

But the third blow came during the same Aces game, where her old back injury flared up. She sustained a back injury and was sidelined starting July 29, 2025. Reese returned to the court in mid-August, but the injury flared up again on September 10. The result? She had to sit out for the entirety of the game. However, it appears that the two-day rest was insufficient for the Chicago player, as she continues to sit out of practice.

First reported on X by the Chicago State of Mind Sports, they revealed Angel Reese did not participate in the shootaround session on Thursday. She was present there in her street clothes, implying she was not looking to practice either way. Her management is also iffy about her on-court return. According to Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh, the decision on her playing will be made before the game time on Thursday

Despite the setbacks, Reese delivered a breakout statistical year. Her averages of 14.7 points and a league-leading 12.6 rebounds set the benchmark for her team. And 23 double-doubles are the highest alongside Alyssa Thomas in the WNBA. But with Chicago eliminated from playoff contention, fans may not get to see her again this season. But it has also left her future with the franchise clouded due to off-court controversy. The Sky fans were left wondering what comes next.

Angel Reese update sparks mixed reactions from fans

The sophomore year was a mixed bag for the Chi-town Barbie. She started her season with a disappointing start, failing to find rhythm. But Reese soon bounced back and delivered the season-topping performance in double-doubles. Unfortunately, the end of her season is not turning out that way. Her recurring back injury plagues her, with fans already accepting that she isn’t returning to the court this season. One fan declared it, stating, “We get it, she is NOT playing!!!”

But one fan was looking for a ray of hope. “We need the rebounding champ,” they wrote. And Sky definitely needs her for the high-profile game against New York. They have taken the Liberty down earlier, with the duo of Reese-Cardoso dropping 20+ points and 10+ rebounds double-doubles for a 91-85 Chicago win. The Windy City team would definitely want to end their season on a high note, and Reese is the kind of player who can provide that. However, not everyone agrees.

“It’s the last game of the season, and they’re not making the playoffs. This game doesn’t really matter,” one fan bluntly wrote. Indeed, this game does not have any postseason implications. It is merely a formality at this point to determine seeding for New York. With a result of 10-33, Chicago barely managed double-digit wins, far from the .500 PCT needed for postseason. Chicago arrives in this game with a three-game slide. So the fan bluntly wants to say they have lost hope in the team. And by her words, it looks like Reese has also lost hope in her team.

Everyone vividly remembers the public outcry of Reese, stating that the facilities are abysmal in Chicago. The Chi-town Barbie even went forward to lay a bold claim of having better facilities in her college than her WNBA team. Some fans imply this lack of facilities is the root cause of her recurring injuries, with one commenting on her decision not to practice: “Good for her. Get yourself out of the crap hole.” 

The Chicago Sky is building a new practice facility at Bedford Park, with completion now expected around April 2026 after delays from its original 2025 timeline. So if Angel decides to stay with the Sky, she might get better facilities. However, multiple rumors point that she is going to leave the team before that. Some fans are pointing towards new expansion teams, while some are pointing towards the Dallas Wings. But amidst all this chaos, one fan has found an uncanny coincidence.

A fan wrote on the internet, “Second straight season she’s quit on her team. It’s not talked about enough.” They have fueled the ongoing discussion of Reese’s departure, while pointing out she quit when her team lost postseason chances. In her debut season, too, Angel Reese suffered a wrist injury during a game against the Los Angeles Sparks in September. Now, after a year, she’s sitting out in September with her back injury woes. And the fan wanted to stress that, claiming she quits as the going gets tough.

To give her credit, Reese set a WNBA single-season record for offensive rebounds and also for total rebounds back in 2024. Additionally, she became the fastest player to record 20 double-doubles in WNBA history and extended the record for most consecutive double-doubles to 15 last year. She continued that dominant run this year, surpassing her previous records. But the result stayed the same. It is a high priority for the Chicago management to look into the gaps, as it won’t take long for a player of Reese’s caliber to find a new team that wants her.