Angel Reese has attended three NFL games in three cities over the past several weeks and is making sure that her brand remains strong throughout this WNBA playoffs.
She’s on the full road to recovery from a wrist injury that cost her the last six games of the season and knocked her out of Rookie of the Year contention. The 22-year-old is almost guaranteed to pop out somewhere with a smile and a celebrity’s welcome from some of the biggest stars in sports and entertainment.
While Caitlin Clark will be using her offseason to elevate her golf game, Reese is continuing to refine her hoops game and is committed to playing in the inaugural season of the Unrivaled League which kicks off in January. Her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast keeps her very busy, and her latest interview featured NBA legend Dwyane Wade. Wade is from Chi-Town, and he’s also a part-owner of the Chicago Sky.
Reese has over 4 million social media followers and is one of the faces of the WNBA. She’s definitely the face of the Chicago Sky, who would probably be one of the least-attended WNBA venues if the double-double machine from LSU wasn’t there.
Why Didn’t Angel Reese Attend Chicago Sky Groundbreaking for New $38m Practice Facility?
With all of Reese’s activity — which only benefits the WNBA as she’s an ambassador for the league basically working for free in that capacity — she was noticeably absent from the Sky’s groundbreaking ceremony in Bedford Park, Illinois, on Wednesday.
The Sky announced new plans to build an upgraded $38 million practice facility, an exclusive 40,000 square-feet performance center for players and staff. While these plans have been in the works, Reese’s meteoric rise to fame and fortune, as well as her dominant rookie season, definitely sped up the process and elevated the excitement.
Several members of the Sky’s front office attended the ceremony, including principal owner Michael Alter, CEO Adam Fox, and general manager Jeff Pagliocca. Sky center Elizabeth Williams and forward Michaela Onyenwere were also in attendance.
Reese was oddly not there, and during the groundbreaking ceremony for the practice facility, which is expected to be completed in December 2025, the WNBA’s rebounding leader posted, “grass low snakes show…” and another message that read, “when they show you who they are the first time, BELIEVE THEM!.”
The posts were very cryptic and could be referring to anything Reese has going on in her life, but the timing of the Tweet was curious. Is Reese still angry with the organization for letting Teresa Weatherspoon go after one season?
She and Reese were very tight, and it can’t be denied that Weatherspoon helped Reese maximize her abilities and her style of play fit what Reese does well defensively and offensively. Or did the organization not invite Reese to be at the groundbreaking? If she wasn’t invited, then there’s more to this story than we understand right now.
Reese was admittingly devastated over Weatherspoon’s firing a few weeks ago. Reese wrote in a post on X on September 26 that has 14.9M views to this point that she was “heartbroken” over Weatherspoon’s exit. “You were the best reason & season. You didn’t deserve this but I can’t thank you enough. I love you Tspoon,” Reese posted.
Her response appears to be one of a star player who was not consulted at all on a coaching move that is going to seriously affect her career. Coaches getting the ax is part of the business of pro sports, but I doubt the Sky told Reese that Weatherspoon was only going to be there for one season.
Add in the fact that they were undermanned and in playoff contention until late in the season and the TSpoon-Reese combo was a winner with great potential. Weatherspoon was also only allowed one season to work with the Twin Towers of Reese and 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso.
Social media speculation centered on Reese’s followers trying to figure out who and what she was talking about.
One X user assumed she was referring Detroit Pistons player Jalen Duren, who Reese has been seen with on several occasions recently.
Who knows what Reese’s beef was about or who were the snakes in the grass she was referring to. If the Sky truly wants to continue to build the franchise, they definitely need to involve Chi-Barbie in everything and do cross-band collaborations with her sponsors such as Reebok and Mercedes-Benz and Reese’s Pieces.
There always seems to be some drama in the WNBA. Some disconnect between corporate and the stars that make the league go. Imagine the Indiana Fever having a groundbreaking for a new facility and Lexie Hull and NaLyssa Smith show up, but no Clark? Wouldn’t happen.
