Angel Reese is set to play in the WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream, but her path out of Chicago is drawing fresh attention after she described her trade as a move she helped steer. In an interview with WSB-TV, Reese said she wanted to come to Atlanta and spoke about taking control of her destiny, comments that prompted questions about whether she pushed her way out of Chicago.
During Friday’s WNBA Finals media availability, Reese was asked directly what role she played in the trade. She paused before answering, then said she found out she was being traded and was able to work with Chicago on a destination she preferred. She acknowledged helping choose Atlanta while initially framing the trade as something that happened to her, a careful response that left the full account unresolved.
The Sky’s decision to move Reese is notable given how heavily the franchise invested in her. Chicago traded up from No. 8 to No. 7 in the 2024 draft to select her, sending Minnesota a 2025 second-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2026. That 2026 pick became costly: Minnesota later acquired Chicago’s first-rounder outright and used it on Olivia Miles, this season’s unanimous Rookie of the Year. After two seasons, Chicago traded Reese to Atlanta for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028.
What happened in between includes public friction. In September 2025, Reese told the Chicago Tribune that the roster needed better players, calling it a non-negotiable for her. She also said she wanted to spend her career in Chicago but might have to move in a different direction if things did not pan out. The Sky suspended her for half a game over comments they called detrimental to the team. Reese said she apologized to teammates, and she never played another game for Chicago, remaining sidelined with a back injury after the suspension. She was traded the following April.
When the trade was announced, ESPN reported citing unnamed sources that Reese had not requested a trade and that there was no contention between the sides, with Chicago working with her representatives to find a new home. That account has been treated skeptically by some observers who note the sources were not identified and that reporting she never formally requested a trade does not address how her public criticism influenced the organization’s decision.
Atlanta represents a strong landing spot. The Dream went 30–14 the season before Reese arrived and have now reached the Finals with her. Reese compared the move to her transfer from Maryland to LSU, where she helped win a national championship. Asked how she balances seeking a new opportunity to win against staying and building a winner, Reese said she looks to win anywhere she goes and described her approach as a winning mentality regardless of how long it takes.
Chicago was not unfamiliar with winning before Reese arrived. The Sky made the playoffs five straight seasons from 2019 through 2023 and won the WNBA championship in 2021. They missed the postseason in both of Reese’s seasons there. Reese also suggested LSU was not highly ranked when she transferred, though the Tigers finished the season before her arrival 26–6, second in the SEC and No. 9 in the final AP poll under coach Kim Mulkey, who had already won national championships at Baylor.
As Reese prepares for the Finals, her explanation of the trade and her broader comments about winning will continue to shape how her Chicago exit is viewed.