From USA Basketball camp, Sky star Angel Reese quiets fears about a departure from Chicago

The Sky’s season ended with a bang — a half-game suspension for star forward Angel Reese in early September for comments “detrimental to the team” — and then an awkward silence. Reese and other key players skipped exit interviews, leaving fans holding their breath.

Would Reese add her name to the growing list of stars who have asked out of Chicago? Were the rumors true that her relationship with the organization was beyond repair?

During exit interviews, Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca did his best to tamp down speculation, saying the team had “moved on” from the suspension and remained committed to building around Reese. Still, doubt lingered.

Maybe fans can rest a little easier now.

Speaking from the U.S. women’s national team’s December camp, where she was one of 17 invited players, Reese said she plans to return to Chicago for the 2026 WNBA season.

“I’m under contract, so, yes, I plan on returning to the Sky,” she said. “I’m continuing to talk to [head coach] Tyler [Marsh] and building that relationship with Jeff and Tyler.”

OK, then.

It wasn’t a ringing endorsement, but it also wasn’t a trade request. Given the Sky’s history, fans should — and probably will — take that as a win.

Of course, the Sky want to reach a place where players of Reese’s caliber are singing the organization’s praises while competing to make the national team. They should want their stars counting down the days until Sky training camp, not talking about contractual obligations.

But Reese is a realist. And anyone paying attention can see the Sky aren’t there yet.

The issues she questioned publicly last season — difficulty attracting top free agents, lagging professional resources — are real, structural problems. They aren’t getting solved in one fell swoop.

For now, incremental progress is the name of the game, both for catching up to top teams such as the Liberty and Mercury and for rebuilding trust. And Reese’s cordial comments were a step in the right direction.

There was other encouraging news from the national team camp at Duke University. Reese said that her back is fully healed from a recurring injury and that she was a full go on the first day. She missed extended time during the WNBA season.

Reese was one of 10 players making her debut with the senior national team, a group that also included 2024 WNBA draft-class stars Caitlin Clark (Fever), Paige Bueckers (Wings) and Cameron Brink (Sparks) — or, as Bueckers put it, “the young intern crew.”

USA Basketball managing director Sue Bird said the camp was designed to give young players their first taste of the senior team environment.

Reese is aiming for more than a taste. Making the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles has been a goal of hers for years.

“I haven’t done USA Basketball since I was in college, so to potentially be on the senior team is really, really important to me,” she said.

If she makes the cut, the next major competition is the 2026 FIBA World Cup in September, with qualifiers in March.

As for when she’ll be back with the Sky, that’s unclear. Training camps typically begin in April, but a new collective-bargaining agreement could affect that. Reese will spend the offseason training in Florida, focused on staying healthy.