Coach Tyler Marsh’s decision to overhaul Angel Reese’s role with the Chicago Sky has sent shockwaves across the WNBA landscape, raising questions not only about team strategy but also about player identity, marketability, and the evolving demands of modern professional basketball. Angel Reese, a fan-favorite and rebounding phenom known for her dominant presence in the paint and relentless energy, has suddenly found her future with the Sky clouded by uncertainty.

The announcement that Reese would be moved away from the basket and assigned a new mid-range role felt, to many, like a direct challenge to everything that made her a star. For a player who built her name on double-doubles and second-chance points, being asked to abandon the paint and adapt to a perimeter-based game was more than just a tactical adjustment—it was a perceived threat to her identity. Her fans didn’t take this news lightly.

Social media erupted with accusations that the team was sabotaging her career, questioning whether politics or internal biases had driven the shift in offensive philosophy. As the season approaches, all eyes remain fixed on the Chicago Sky. Will this be remembered as the moment Angel Reese took control of her narrative and evolved into a modern WNBA force?

Or will it mark the beginning of a frustrating rift between a player and an organization trying to move in different directions? One thing is certain: the WNBA is watching, and the next chapter of Reese’s journey is going to be written not by headlines, but by how she responds to adversity on and off the court.

Angel Reese Sends Message Before Chicago Sky’s WNBA Draft Decision

The 2024 WNBA Draft class was arguably the most important crop of players to ever enter the league. Not only did the Chicago Sky select a duo of young stars in South Carolina’s Kamilla Cardoso and LSU’s Angel Reese, but a handful of other transformational players were chosen, like Caitlin Clark, Rickea Jackson and Cameron Brink.

These players took the league by storm in their first professional season, with both Clark and Reese making the All-Star team as rookies. Reese landed on the All-Rookie team as well and finished second in Rookie of the Year Award voting after leading the league with 13.1 rebounds per game and also adding 13.6 points.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese with Commissioner Cathy Engelbert at the 2024 WNBA Draft.Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The 2025 class is expected to be full of young stars once again, and with the league expanding and growing in popularity, these players will need to be ready to go immediately. While the Sky will not be on the clock until pick No. 10, they will have back-to-back selections.

Chicago currently holds the No. 11, No. 16 and No. 22 picks in this year’s draft as well, giving them ample opportunities to add value to their franchise like they did a year ago. Reese took to social media on Monday morning to comment on how excited she is for the new class to be coming to the Windy City.

“We getting some rookies today ahhh im sooo excited lmaooo,” wrote Reese.

Reese was not the only effective rookie last season in Chicago, as Kamilla Cardoso landed on the All-Rookie team as well after averaging 9.8 points and 7.9 rebounds per game in her inaugural campaign. The Sky will need their young players to step up once again this year if they are looking to make a playoff push in 2025.

While the draft may play out in a variety of ways, the team should be looking to add players that complement the trio of Reese, Cardoso, and recently acquired Ariel Atkins. Courtney Vandersloot is a good point guard but definitely past her prime, so the Sky could be targeting a point guard in the late first round.

It sounds like no matter who the Sky select, Reese is just excited to get some new players in the building. Chicago will take the floor for the first time, rookies and all, on May 17 when they take on Clark and the Indiana Fever on the opening night of the WNBA season.