‘Emotional' Angel Reese Explains Why She Left Chicago Sky for Atlanta Dream
The Chicago Sky shook the WNBA snowglobe by trading All-Star forward Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for two first-round draft picks on April 6.
On Friday, the Dream held an introductory press conference for Reese and their free agency signees, and USA Today’s Meghan L. Hall asked Reese about her transition from Chicago to Atlanta.
“I’m really grateful for the people, the environment, that I was in [in Chicago],” Reese said. “I’m always going to be grateful for that because I did experience a lot of great things and 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 that could make me better. […] That’s all I ever wanted. I don’t care about anything else that comes with it. At the end of the day, I want to win.”
Reese emphasized that it feels like “a breath of fresh air” to arrive in Atlanta and join “an organization that really cares about their players” and shouted out Dream general manager Dan Padover, who “really wanted me and knew what my talents are.” She said she felt supported because her new teammates “genuinely know” who she is as a person.
“It lowkey makes me emotional because I haven’t had this, and I’m really grateful,” Reese said.
The Sky drafted Reese seventh overall out of LSU in 2024. She’s earned All-Star nods and led the WNBA in rebounds in each of her first two seasons. But Chicago only won 26 total games in Reese’s tenure, going 13-27 in 2024 and 10-34 last season.
Last September, Reese expressed her frustrations with the Sky to The Chicago Tribune, saying that she wouldn’t “settle for the same [expletive] as we did this year” and urging the team to sign “great players” in free agency.
The Sky suspended her one game for “comments made detrimental to the team” on Sept. 5, and Reese never played for the Sky again.
In Atlanta, Reese doesn’t have to worry about any of that. The Dream re-signed the core that led them to a 30-14 record and a playoff berth last season: All-Star guard Allisha Gray, All-Star forward Brionna Jones, All-Star guard Rhyne Howard, two-time WNBA champion guard Jordin Canada, and reigning Sixth Player of the Year Naz Hillmon.
Reese is expected to put the Dream over the top and help Atlanta win its first championship in franchise history. The Dream reached the WNBA Finals in 2010, 2011, and 2013, losing all three series, and have not been back since.
The Dream’s 2026 campaign will begin against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, May 10.
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This story was originally published April 17, 2026 at 6:54 PM.