WNBA superstar forward Angel Reese is being traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for first-round picks in the 2027 and 2028 WNBA Drafts, according to sources that spoke to ESPN's Kendra Andrews earlier today. Additionally, Atlanta will receive a 2028 second-round draft pick swap in the deal.
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” said Reese. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I've got to the Dream.”
From the time she started playing college basketball to now, Reese has been one of the best and most polarizing women's basketball players in the world. After transferring from the University of Maryland in 2022, Reese led the LSU Lady Tigers to a championship in 2023, where she was named the Most Outstanding Player of the 2023 NCAA Tournament. A year later, she was taken by the Chicago Sky with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Since entering the league, Reese has emerged as a defensive force after leading the league in rebounding each of the last two seasons.
“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” said Atlanta Dream GM Dan Padover. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production, and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision. This is an exciting moment for our organization and our fans.”
For as good as Reese has been, she is perhaps most famous for being a longtime rival of fellow WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark. The Magic Johnson-Larry Bird-like rivalry between the two began in the 2023 NCAA Championship Game, when Reese walked up to Clark and pointed to her ring finger to insinuate that she would be a champion. Later in the matchup, Reese made a "you can't see me" gesture towards Clark at the end of the game. The following season, their last head-to-head meeting at the collegiate level, a matchup in the 2024 Elite Eight that Iowa won, ended up being ESPN's second-most-watched basketball game of any kind since 2012.
Reese and Clark's rivalry has continued in the WNBA after both players were taken in the first round of the 2024 Draft. While some media members credited the rise in league viewership during the 2024 season to Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese argued that the viewership increase was "not just because of one person." Sheila Johnson, the co-owner of the WNBA's Washington Mystics, went a step further and said that the rise in viewers was due to "not just Caitlin Clark," but "(Angel) Reese [as well]."
Since coming into the league, Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark have gone head-to-head five times, with Clark owning the rivalry so far, 4-1. Though Clark averages more points per game in the WNBA (18.5), Reese has a defensive advantage, with more rebounds, steals, and blocks per game.
Angel Reese is a two-time All-Star and a two-time league leader in rebounds. In 64 WNBA games, she has averaged 14.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game. Last season, Reese led the Chicago Sky in minutes per game (31.6), points per game (14.7), and rebounds per game (12.6).
