The Chicago Sky have traded two-time WNBA All-Star Angel Reese to the Atlanta Dream for a 2027 first-round pick and 2028 first-round pick, it was announced Monday.
The Dream also will receive 2028 second-round swap rights.
Reese, 23, defended her WNBA rebounding crown last season, averaging 12.6 per game. She is the only player in WNBA history to average at least 12.0 rebounds per game in a season, which she did in 2024 and 2025.
Reese also led the league in double-doubles (23) last season while also pacing the Sky in scoring (14.7 points) and assists (3.7).
“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “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.”
Angel Reese is the only player in WNBA history to average at least 12.0 rebounds per game in a season, which she did in both 2024 and 2025. She has also had 49 career double-doubles. Geoff Stellfox/Getty Images
In Atlanta, she will team up with dynamic guards Allisha Gray, who finished fourth in MVP voting last year, and Rhyne Howard. The Dream finished last season with the WNBA’s third-best record (30-14) before losing in the first round of the playoffs to the Indiana Fever.
“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” Dream general manager Dan Padover said in a statement. “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.”
Reese’s relationship with the Sky, which drafted her No. 7 in 2024, became strained last season after she publicly expressed concern over the team’s point guard situation and indicated the team has to get great players this offseason or she might consider moving on.
“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese told the Chicago Tribune in September. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a nonnegotiable for me. I’m willing and wanting to play with the best.
“… I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open-minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”
The Sky deemed those comments as “detrimental to the team” and suspended her for the first half of their next game, but Reese didn’t play in the second half of that game or the following three games to end the season, with the Sky saying she was out because of a back injury.
Reese later apologized to her teammates for the comments.
“This trade is designed to achieve roster balance and represents a great opportunity for all parties,” Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca said in a release. “Angel has achieved many record-breaking milestones in her first two years in the WNBA and has been a competitive force for the Sky. We are thankful for her many important contributions to this league and this game, and we know she will continue to have a big impact on the court and beyond.
“We wish Angel all the best in her next chapter.”
The Sky went 1-13 last season without Reese (10-34 overall) and missed the playoffs for the second straight year.
The rookie contract for the 6-foot-3 Reese, who led LSU to the 2023 national championship, runs through 2026 with a team option for 2027.
Chicago now has five first-round picks over the next three seasons.
ESPN’s Alexa Philippou contributed to this report.
