Angel Reese got traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream. Now, she's going through "deja vu."
While speaking on a panel with Dallas Wings star Paige Bueckers at Coach Story Sessions in Los Angeles on Wednesday, WNBA forward Angel Reese spoke about feeling "deja vu."
Reese got traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream. She's feeling back in college all over again.
“Transferring from Maryland and going to LSU and winning a championship, it feels like deja vu right now,” said Reese, who helped the LSU women’s basketball team win its first NCAA championship in 2023. “And I get chills right now because being a part of Chicago my first two years and going to Atlanta, I just feel that urge right now that I’m going to win again.
“And having that within me and just being able to do that — It’s not easy to go be by yourself in the dark and those lonely nights and those long nights thinking by yourself. Social media has it out there to be one way. But at the end of the day, you gotta sit with yourself and tell yourself what you want in life and continue to put yourself in spaces and rooms feel super uncomfortable.
“Because you’re not always going to be comfortable and you shouldn’t feel comfortable. So take those scary steps, even if it the person next you might not believe in you. Know that I believe in you and continue to push through.”
The Sky traded Reese to the Dream for first-round draft picks in 2027 and 2028 on Monday. It was a trade that seemingly came out of nowhere and many fans speculated that Reese requested a trade from the Sky.
However, according to ESPN, Reese did not request a trade from Chicago.
In Atlanta, Reese will team up with Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard.
Reese averaged 14.1 points, 12.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.6 blocks per game with the Sky. Chicago went just 21-43 when Reese played. The franchise is in deep, deep rebuild mode.
Reese signed a four-year, $324,383 contract with the Sky in 2024. She will make $82,399 next season and has a club option worth $93,636 for 2027.
Reese is one of the best -- if not the best -- rebounders in the WNBA. She put up 49 double-doubles in 64 games with the Sky, who now have five first-round picks over the next three seasons after the Reese trade.
Reese enters next season as a two-time rebounding champion. She's a career 42.1% shooter from the field, 18.4% shooter from beyond the arc and 74.6% shooter from the free-throw line.