When the Chicago Sky drafted Angel Reese, they expected her to be the new face of the franchise. A year later, the two parties’ relationship has become rocky, leading to uncertainty regarding the future. WNBA legend Candace Parker, who has followed Reese’s career intensively has now spoken about the growing rift.
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Losing isn’t an easy pill to swallow for anyone. Angel Reese has been a winner throughout her basketball career, so her team’s struggles in the WNBA are something new to her. Following a loss against the Seattle Storm, Reese addressed the Chicago Tribune in an extremely candid interview.
“I’m not settling for the same s*** we did this year,” Reese said. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”
The Sky followed up a 13-27 record last season with a 10-33 record so far. Reese’s blunt comments didn’t land well with her teammates and other members in the organization. Sky guard Ariel Atkins didn’t take too kindly to Reese’s criticism of the team.
“I think I just don’t really care. I’m so over all of this s***,” Atkins said. “If I was younger, it would have affected me more. But I’m grown and I just don’t care … We just here trying to do our jobs on a day-to-day.”
This is not a great development for the Sky. Former Sky star Candace Parker understands the importance of team chemistry, especially for young rebuilding teams. Although she has never done what Reese has, she can relate to the two-time All-Star with her own experiences.
“I can remember a time I was in LA. I had like 33 points, 15 rebounds. We came into the timeout, and Coach Carol Ross drew up a play for Alana Beard to go right to win the game in Minnesota. We lost. I didn’t say anything, but my family members got on Twitter,” Parker recalled on the Post Moves podcast.
Parker didn’t think much of it and didn’t do anything to rectify their actions. Only with time did she realize the impact that had on Beard and the rest of the Los Angeles Sparks organization.
“After gaining perspective and a little bit of more maturity, you realize how important it is. I think the best advice I ever received is to keep things in-house,” Parker said.
That’s the same piece of advice she wishes to share with Reese. Nothing good comes from speaking on sensitive team matters publicly. Once fans and the media get involved, the intensity of the conflict will only increase. In case some people had trouble understanding Parker’s point, she used a famous Jay-Z quote to emphasize the message.
“What is that Jay-Z song? Nobody wins when the family feuds. So, unless you want to get out of there, you’re not gonna win when the family feuds,” Parker proclaimed.
Hopefully, these words reach. Reese so she can learn from her mistakes and make amends with her teammates and the rest of the Sky organization. If that doesn’t end up happening, we may very well be witnessing Reese’s final season in Chicago.
