There's a lot going on in Chicago right now. Angel Reese found herself on the receiving end of both ire and support last week after she told the Chicago Tribune's Julia Poe she hasn't been happy with the direction the team (who's currently sitting at 12th in the league with a 10-32 record) has moved in this season. While it doesn't seem overwhelmingly likely Reese will actually depart Chicago before her rookie contract is up, three teams could immediately benefit from having her on the roster: the Valkyries, Wings, and the Fever.
As Reese put it, "I'm not settling for the same s--- we did this year. 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."
The point it seems Reese was trying to make — that the franchise's personnel and front office made questionable decisions in the preseason and throughout the regular season that have impacted the success of the Sky — got muddled after the quotes were used to spin out hundreds of headlines insisting Reese doesn't think her teammates are that good. While the only person who knows what she was trying to say is Reese herself, the larger intent of her words appears to be that the team needs to be stronger, but there isn't much that would attract top talent to Chicago at this time.
Though Reese clarified she didn't "intentionally mean to put down my teammates" the Sky still suspended her for half a game on September 7 — and the damage to team morale was nearly immediate. On September 5 the Chicago Sun-Times reported Rachel Banham admitted she felt "blindsided" by Reese's comments; teammate Ariel Atkins was more blunt: "I think I just don’t really care. I’m so over all of this s---."
(In her full apology, Reese also acknowledged the responsibility to communicate her intent is ultimately on her — and that even the most carefully phrased comments can be easily taken out of context. "I want to apologize to my teammates, which I already have, about the article and how it was misconstrued, about what was said. I just have to be better with my language because I know it's not the message, it's the messenger," she explained. "And understanding what I say can be taken any type of way. So I just have to really be better and grow from this."
The entire ordeal shed light on what's seeming like a dire situation in Chicago — and on the possiblity that Reese could exit the team.
Can Angel Reese be traded to another WNBA team?
Despite the current tumult, Reese is inarguably the Sky's star player and, for many fans, the reason people show up at games in the first place. The idea that Chicago could trade her still feels unlikely, but it's not entirely off the table.
Reese is still on her rookie contract, which means she doesn't have the option to walk away from the Sky on her own. While 96% of the league will be free agents in 2026, Reese is not among that group. Trading Reese would be unpopular among fans who support her, and would also mean the team gave up its 2026 first-round pick to draft Reese for nothing. That's not on Reese, but it's certainly on GM Jeff Pagliocca, who isn't exactly earning rave reviews this season.
What WNBA teams could Angel Reese go to?
If Reese is traded from the Sky — and that's so big an if it borders on total fantasy — there are several organizations in the league she could thrive within. For starters, both the Tempo and the Fire will be looking to add a face of their franchises, and potentially have the financial backing to make it well worth Reese's while in the long run.
But expansion teams aren't always popular landing spots (though it's unlikely Reese would have much say in where she ended up), and the two teams are likely already sketching out draft plans that don't include a player no one expected to be available. With that in mind, there are three teams who would immediately benefit if Reese came on board.
Dallas Wings
The Wings have a need for a star forward and putting Reese on a roster with former NCAA frenemy Paige Bueckers would be a pretty big draw for fans from the pair's days at UConn and LSU, and the duo's pick and roll opportunities would be boundless. The Wings kicked off this season with a lot of star power that has since dwindled following the departures of Dijonai Carrington and NaLyssa Smith; Bueckers and Reese together would catapult Dallas back into the land of must-see basketball.
Though Dallas isn't having the best season this year, the team is one of the better rebounding squads in the league — and that's a realm in which Reese thrives.
Golden State Valkyries
Though Reese also took a shot at the Valkyries while speaking to Poe ("Watching Golden State — no offense, but I don't think they're more talented than us on paper," she said, "But they play hard as hell."), the same truth she called out might also be a compelling reason for the team to bring her on.
There is no telling what will happen to the Valkyries during the offseason. It's likely teams will only be able to protect a set number of players ahead of the potential Fire and Tempo expansion drafts, and free agency could wreak havoc on a team that has met and destroyed nearly every expectation placed on them. But if Reese wants to be on a team with a strong identity and the full support of its owners and front office, Golden State is likely an attractive candidate.
Indiana Fever
There's a subset of the internet who will hate this suggestion, but the idea of the Fever bringing on Reese isn't a bad one. She would be great as a young 4, her rebounding would help the team, and there's no denying that the combination of Reese and Caitlin Clark as teammates would have a ripple effect that would produce positive results across the board: apart from finally putting the final nail in the proverbial "rivalry" discourse, the pair have already demonstrated the ability to play really well together (they were teammates during the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game).