After a strained end of the season between the Chicago Sky and franchise player Angel Reese, general manager Jeff Pagliocca said Friday that "until I hear differently, that's the direction we're going to move, is that she's on the roster."
Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft, was suspended for a half Sunday after making comments to the Chicago Tribune that the franchise deemed "detrimental to the team" -- an organizational decision that came from the top down, according to coach Tyler Marsh.
Reese did not take the court for the Sky after the announcement, and the team listed her as dealing with a back injury for its final three games, spurring concern that the relationship between franchise and star had fragmented -- perhaps beyond repair.
"Angel is an ascending young talent in this league who's had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago," Pagliocca said Friday. "Obviously we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates, she spoke publicly. We moved on as a team. She's a special player. And I have good conversations with Angel daily, with her team daily. They're constant, and they're productive."
The two-time All-Star apologized publicly and to the team privately, and the organization has said since last week that it's looking to put the incident behind it.
The Sky went 1-13 this season without Reese, who led the league in rebounds per game (12.6) and double-doubles (23), while also pacing the team in scoring (14.7 PPG) and assists (3.7).
Frustration over the Reese situation and more broadly about the franchise's direction boiled over in the team's season finale Thursday, with some fans holding signs that read "Free Angel" and "Sell the Team" and at one point some starting a "Fire Jeff" chant.
The Sky have struggled mightily the past two years, going 13-27 in 2024 and firing then-head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season. But 2025 didn't end up any better, with Chicago finishing tied for the worst record in the league at 10-34.
Some of the dissatisfaction has roots going back further, as the Sky, 2021 WNBA champions, have seen multiple star players leave the franchise over the years and have generally been considered behind others when it comes to resources and investment.
Reese relayed similar sentiments in the aforementioned Tribune article, saying she's "not settling for the same s--- we did this year" and adding that the team "[has] to get great players" this offseason or else she might consider moving on from it.
Pagliocca said the chants were "hard to hear" but reiterated that he's committed to getting things right and that there's a greater commitment to resources than in previous years.
"I'm appreciative that we have passionate fans that want to see winning," Pagliocca said. "We feel the same. And I know I have full support from ownership. We have great conversations. There's a lot of mutual respect there. I have all the respect in the world for Tyler. I think he's the guy for the job."
The Sky dealt with a rash of injuries this year that lowered their ceiling, with perhaps none as consequential as the loss of point guard Courtney Vandersloot seven games into the season to an ACL tear.
Pagliocca expects Vandersloot, his major free agent signing from this offseason, to be back in 2026: "If she's healthy, she's going to be playing basketball here," he said.
In the Tribune article, Reese expressed concern over the Sky's point guard situation, saying, "We can't rely on Courtney [Vandersloot] to come back [from an ACL tear] at the age that she's at [36]. I know she'll be a great asset for us, but we can't rely on that. 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."
Pagliocca said that the team knows it can't depend on Vandersloot to play 38 minutes each game but that the organization still has "a lot of belief in her."
"No one's taking her recovery more seriously than her," Pagliocca said. "I think she's more fired up than ever to prove the world wrong about who she is and what she's capable of. ... She embodies so much of this city with her toughness and how she competes and how she carries herself, so it's somebody very important to the organization."
Pagliocca said that while 2025 was a step forward in building a better culture, they "absolutely need to improve the roster" as Chicago seeks to get back to being a contender on the WNBA stage. The Sky have just four players under contract -- their two rookies, Reese and Kamilla Cardoso -- for 2026, as most league veterans are on expiring deals in anticipation of a new CBA.