Chicago Sky make ‘fishy & weird’ decision to leave Angel Reese future unclear amid $340m tournament announcement

Despite their season ending, the Chicago Sky continue to make headlines.

The team announced on Monday that Angel Reese, Courtney Vandersloot, and Ariel Atkins will not be doing previously agreed-upon exit interviews, sparking rumours about their futures.

What are WNBA exit interviews?

Exit interviews are media availability sessions held at the end of the season.  It allows players, coaches and executives to speak with reporters, usually for the last time until training camp.

Interestingly, of the three players whose interviews have been cancelled, Reese is the only player who is still under contract for Chicago.  Vandersloot and Atkins will both become free agents, with Vandersloot expected to re-sign.

Jeremy Beren of Yahoo Sports broke the news on X on Monday, claiming the cancellation of these interviews could pave the way for speculation to start all over again, particularly around Reese.

“The exit interview reversal potentially points to significant developments regarding these three players,” he wrote.  “General manager Jeff Pagliocca previously indicated that a healthy Vandersloot will have a role on Chicago’s 2026 team — but Reese, with significant trade value amid her unhappiness with the Sky organization, may not.”

While exit interviews are not mandatory, the abrupt cancellations have fans speculating that it could spark a rebuild in Chicago after finishing the 2025 season with a 10-38 record, tied for the worst in the league.

“It’s one thing not to do exit interviews, like the Liberty who opted out. It’s another to operate as if you are and then pull out with no notice and not allow reporters an opportunity to ask end-of-season questions, especially when it comes to team leaders,” one user wrote on X.

“This is fishy & weird,” another wrote.

he cancellation of these interviews comes just weeks after Reese signalled her unhappiness at the Sky.

The 23-year-old launched a furious rant about the standards in the franchise before criticising her teammates.  She later apologised for her comments, but whether Reese actually sees her future in Chicago has been unclear ever since.

Reese and WNBA stars set to compete in Unrivaled

Fortunately for Reese, she will return to a place of success soon.  The forward will play in the second edition of Unrivaled, the three-on-three off-season league that she won last year with her team, Rose.

And the competition is set to be bigger and better in 2026, after a new round of investment valued the competition at $340 million.  “This valuation and additional funding expedite [Unrivaled’s] growth strategy,” Unrivaled president Alex Bazzell told ESPN.

“Because we outperformed our revenue expectations in season one by almost doubling it, it allows us to move a bit quicker.  “It’s become a three-year roadmap [instead of five]. In year two, we are really going to double down on the athletes.”

The average salary for players last year was estimated to be $222,222.  This is a pay package that is higher than many WNBA contracts.  Investors for Unirvaled’s inaugural season included Coco Gauff, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Carmelo Anthony and Stephen Curry.