As soon as any Chicago sports season starts up or comes to an end, there are always fans — sometimes even players — complaining about something.
Who’s in the ring currently? The Chicago Sky.
They ended their season with a 10-34 record (.227).
This season marks the Sky’s second worst record in team history.
Their worst record was their first year as a team in 2006 — they finished 5-29 (.147).
In all 18 seasons — excluding their first and recent season — the Sky finished with a win-loss percentage of .325 or above.
Someone who commented about the record and the Sky organization was Angel Reese, the “Bayou Barbie.”
“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me. … I think the priority is being able to convince (free agents) that this is an organization that is going in the right direction.”
Reese didn’t just emphasize the need for talent — she also pointed to the type of player the team should be targeting moving forward.
“We can’t rely on Courtney (Vandersloot) to come back at the age that she’s at. I know she’ll be a great asset for us, but we can’t rely on that,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune. “We need someone probably a little younger with some experience, somebody who’s been playing the game and is willing to compete for a championship and has done it before.”
Because of these comments, the Sky suspended Reese for half a game on Sept. 7 against the Las Vegas Aces.
Many fans were not happy about this — some have said the Chicago Sky are the “worst run” organization in the league.
It is weird that they only suspended her for half a game. I’m surprised they didn’t suspend her for more games, since I remember Jimmy Butler being suspended for plenty of games in late 2024 and early 2025 when speaking out against the Miami Heat and how he wanted to be traded.
While that was a whole different situation, organizations are never happy when their own players speak up on things they should try to fix.
Past Chicago Sky players have spoken up about the Sky organization. Kahleah Copper, the 2021 WNBA Finals MVP, asked for a trade and pointedly celebrated how she could focus on basketball alone being a player on the Phoenix Mercury. Courtney Williams, who played for the Sky in 2023, said on a recent StudBudz stream how the Sky didn’t have their own practicing space — they practiced in a public recreational area where they shared public locker rooms and showers with other people.
The Sky are set to open their own practice facility by the 2026 season. It took them almost 20 years to make their own practice facility. Interesting.
Yes, maybe Reese should have spoken to management before sharing this with the Chicago Tribune. Yes, maybe the Sky should fix some things about their organization. It just comes to a point where it becomes a petty social media spat.
If things were truly discussed in private, no one would have probably known Reese had problems with the Sky organization. We wouldn’t have even known the Sky had a chat with Reese after her comments, but they decided to post that anyway to show they’re a “good” organization.
Reese apologized for her comments a few days later, saying “the language was taken out of context,” and she “didn’t intentionally mean to put down (her) teammates” since they’ve experienced the same things as her.
She apologized before the Sky said she would be suspended.
At the end of the day, it isn’t just about one bad season or one frustrated player. It’s about an organization that’s clearly shifting — and trying to figure out if it’s serious about building something legitimate. Angel Reese might’ve been more vocal than others, but sometimes, that’s what makes change. Let’s just hope the Sky are finally ready to stop patching holes and actually build the foundation this team — and its fans — deserve.
Related stories:
- Peyton’s Power Hour: When will Chicago teams be good again?
- Morrow selected seventh overall in WNBA Draft
- Pizzotti named next women’s basketball head coach
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