A packed WNBA transaction period has reportedly tipped off with the trade of Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream.
The Chicago Sky era of Angel Reese will reportedly cease.
(Photo by Tim Heitman/Getty Images)
First reported by Taylor Rooks of Amazon Prime Video, the Sky and Atlanta Dream have agreed to a deal that would send the polarizing post presence south. Chicago will receive a 2027 first-round pick and a 2028 first-round pick. The Dream will also receive a 2028 second-round pick swap.
“The Sky are trading Angel to the Dream in exchange for two first-round picks. This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” General Manager Jeff Pagliocca said.
Reese’s move is likely the first of many on the WNBA horizon as the league is set to engage in a streamlined offseason following months of collective bargaining agreement negotiations. The tip-off involves one of the more talked-about players in the league, who has starred in various headlines since the Sky made her the seventh overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft out of LSU.
End of an Era in Chi-Town
Reese has certainly left a mark on the WNBA statistical ledgers in her first two tours, leading the league in rebounds twice. While critics have made the case that Reese’s own misses have led to a statistical inflation, Reese improved her shooting percentage by six full points last season, pairing her 45.8 percent success rate with 14.7 tallies per game.
“Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky,” Pagliocca added. “We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond. We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”
The 2023 collegiate national champion and All-American has also made a professional name for herself on the Unrivaled circuit, winning the domestic three-on-three league’s Defensive Player of the Year award during its inaugural season.
But, despite pairing her with fellow interior threat Kamilla Cardoso, the Sky has struggled to generate any significant headway on the WNBA leaderboard. Chicago shared the 2025 WNBA cellar with Dallas last season with a 10-34 mark, leading to speculation about Reese’s future.
Reese Gets a Fresh Start with Atlanta
Reese even hinted to Julia Poe of the Chicago Tribune that she might be inclined to go in a “different direction” if Chicago did not make any immediate improvements. While Chicago was stocked reasonably well despite the veteran free-agent exodus brought about by the expiration of the prior CBA, it did not even have the comfort of its 2026 first-round pick to keep it company during the lost season, having previously traded it to the Minnesota Lynx.
“I’m not settling for the same [stuff] we did this year,” Reese told Poe late last season. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me…I’m willing and wanting to play with the best, and however I can help to get the best here, that’s what I’m going to do this offseason. So it’s going to be very, very important this offseason to make sure we attract the best of the best because we can’t settle for what we have this year.”
What’s Next?
Reese now gets a prime opportunity to succeed in Atlanta, which is coming off a sterling first tour under Karl Smesko. The Dream won an Eastern Conference-best and franchise record 30 games in the regular season (doubling its win total from the prior campaign) but bowed out to the Indiana Fever in the opening round of the WNBA Playoffs. Atlanta finished at the top of the rebounding ledger on both sides of the ball last season, thanks to the addition of league legend Brittney Griner as well as breakouts for Allisha Gray, Naz Hillmon, and Brionna Jones.
Sky fans won’t have to wait long to offer a proper tribute to Reese, as Atlanta opens its preseason couple in Chicago on April 29. The Reese era officially begins in May with a visit to Minnesota.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on X @GeoffJMags
The post Angel Reese Atlanta Dream Trade Tips Off 2026 WNBA Offseason appeared first on Ballislife.com.
