Angel Reese quashes trade speculation amid Sky's brutal start: "I'm really happy" 

Angel Reese has been struggling to start her sophomore season as the Chicago Sky finds itself at the bottom of the WNBA standings. Reese’s struggles sparked trade speculation as the superstar forward could not find her offensive rhythm early in the season.

However, Reese has since quashed the rumors, expressing her happiness while appreciating the transparency the franchise has given her.

"Just trying to be patient and give myself grace… I just have great people around me that put a lot of confidence in me…everyone is super transparent…I'm really happy to be here with this organization to be here,” Reese said.

Reese has been averaging 10.4 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game for the Sky this season. While her box score numbers remained impressive, her field goal shooting remained hazy as she shot 35.7% from the field on almost 10 attempts per game, on top of 3.6 turnovers per game.

The Sky has also won three games out of 11 outings so far, relegating them to the 11th seed in the standings, with only the Connecticut Sun and Dallas Wings having worse records.

Reese was picked No. 7 in the 2024 WNBA draft and has since risen into one of the biggest stars in women’s basketball. However, her shooting has been a point of contention regarding her superstar status in the league.

Sky general manager gets clear on Angel Reese’s struggles

As the Sky’s season continues to unravel, Chicago’s general manager Jeff Pagliocca got honest about the team’s struggles, including Angel Reese’s early-season jitters.

According to Pagliocca, in a report by Jason Lieser of the Chicago Sun-Times, Reese has been inconsistent with her offensive performances, hurting the team’s cause to start the 2025 WNBA season.

“She’s had some great games, and she’s had some games like everybody else that haven’t been her best," Pagliocca said. "But she’s our best chance at versatility on this roster. We need more production out of her, but we need her to help us in other ways, too. “She’s been putting the time in. She’s been a great teammate. She knows we need to use her in a variety of ways. We’re still trying to pinpoint the most advantageous part of that,” he added.

The Sky did not make the playoffs last year, finishing in 10th spot with just 13 wins. With a more competitive landscape this year, the Sky may need to start their turnaround as soon as possible to keep their playoff hopes alive and well.

Edited by Veer Badani