NEWYou can now listen to Pakinomist articles!
WNBA star Angel Reese opened up about her recent departure from the Chicago Sky during her first press conference with the Atlanta Dream on Friday after being traded from Chicago to Atlanta earlier this month.
“I’ll always be grateful for it because I experienced a lot of great things,” Reese said Friday of his time in Chicago. “I 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 who can make me better.
“And I’m not happy with who I am as a player, and I felt like being around those kinds of players would help me get better. I can help them in different ways to help them win, and that’s all I’ve ever wanted.
“I don’t care about anything else that comes with it. I want to win and be able to come to an organization that really cared about their players.”
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON Pakinomist
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese reacts against the Phoenix Mercury in the first half at Phx Arena on August 28, 2025. (Mark J. Rebilas/Imagn Images)
The Dream acquired Reese from the Sky on April 6 in exchange for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028. Atlanta also acquired the right to trade second-round picks with Chicago in 2028.
One of the WNBA’s most recognizable stars, Reese led the league in rebounds in each of her two seasons with the Sky.
Reese is known in mainstream pop culture as one of the WNBA’s most polarizing players due to her ongoing rivalry with women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark.
Tensions have been suspected between Clark and Reese dating back to their meeting in 2023 NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship Game.
CAITLIN CLARK’S FEVER MAKES MORE KEY OFF-SEASON SIGNINGS IN CHAMPIONSHIP PUSH
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese gestures to the crowd after scoring in the second half against the Los Angeles Sparks on June 29, 2025 in Los Angeles. (Jessie Alcheh/AP)
Reese taunted Clark by pointing his ring finger during the game, sparking outrage and sparking an ongoing feud between fans.
Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes got revenge on Reese’s LSU Tigers a year later in the Elite Eight, but the excitement reached a whole new level when the players reached the pros for their rookie WNBA seasons.
In their first WNBA season in 2024, Clark took a number of questionable fouls from Reese’s Sky throughout the 2024 season, including one from Reese on June 16.
In 2025, the two had a heated exchange after Reese shoved Fever forward Natasha Howard in the back as she grabbed an offensive rebound off a miss from teammate Rebecca Allen. Reese brought the ball down low and Clark beat her before going up for a shot. Reese agreed the earth.
Reese got up from the floor and got in Clark’s face.
The refs reviewed the play and determined that Clark used his left hand to push Reese to the floor. They upgraded the personal foul on Clark to a flagrant foul. And Reese and Aliyah Boston of the Fever got technical fouls.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE Pakinomist APP
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) reacts to a flagrant foul by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) on May 17, 2025 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (IMAGN Syndication/The Indianapolis Star)
When the two played as teammates at the FIBA World Cup qualifiers in March, Clark ignored Reese’s gesture for a high-five during a game.
Now with Clark’s Indiana Fever vying for a championship in 2026, Reese’s Dream could prove to be a legitimate contender.
