Angel Reese Discusses Chicago Exit Before WNBA Finals with Atlanta Dream Angel Reese addressed her trade from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream during WNBA Finals media availability, saying she was being traded but helped choose Atlanta as her destination. Angel Reese is preparing for the WNBA Finals with the Atlanta Dream, but her exit from the Chicago Sky continues to raise questions about how the trade unfolded. During Friday's WNBA Finals media availability, Reese was asked directly about her role in the trade. The question came after Reese told WSB-TV about taking control of your destiny and said, I wanted to come to Atlanta. Those comments sparked discussion about whether she forced her way out of Chicago. OutKick asked Reese what role she played in the trade.I mean, they... Reese began before trailing off, looking away and pausing for about three seconds. I was being traded, she continued after the false start, turning her eyes back to the questioner. And I found out I was being traded, and luckily enough, I was able to work with Chicago and where I wanted to go.And Atlanta also wanted me, so it made sense for both of us. And I am happy just to be here. Reese acknowledged helping choose the destination, but began by describing the trade as something happening to her. She never requested a trade and did not run from the grind.Chicago Sky Trade Capital for Angel ReeseThere is a difference between formally asking for a trade and making your dissatisfaction known, and Reese had certainly done the latter. The Sky traded up from No. 8 to No. 7 in the 2024 draft to select Reese. The deal included sending Minnesota a 2025 second-round pick and the right to swap first-round picks in 2026. That 2026 pick became an expensive part of the story.In a separate trade the following year, Minnesota acquired Chicago's first-rounder outright in exchange for the No. 11 pick in the 2025 draft. The Lynx eventually used Chicago's selection on Olivia Miles, this season's unanimous Rookie of the Year.Public Criticism Led to Reese TradeThen, after two seasons with Reese, Chicago traded her to Atlanta for first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. The organization went from spending draft capital to make sure it got Reese to deciding it would rather have future picks than keep her. So what happened in between? For one thing, Reese publicly criticized the roster.We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That is a non-negotiable for me, she told the Chicago Tribune in September 2025. She also said she wanted to spend her career in Chicago, but if things do not pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what is best for me.The Sky suspended her for half a game over comments they called detrimental to the team. Reese said she apologized to her teammates. She never played another game for the Sky, remaining sidelined with a back injury after serving the half-game suspension. Chicago traded her the following April.Anonymous Sources Claim Amicable TradeAlexa Philippou and Kendra Andrews reported when the trade was announced, citing unnamed sources, that Reese had not requested a trade and that there was no contention between the two sides. Chicago, according to that account, worked with her representatives to find a new home. That is a pretty favorable version of events for Reese. Who were those sources?Were they speaking for Reese, Chicago or someone else? The ESPN report never identified them. How much did that public criticism contribute to Chicago deciding to move on? Reporting that she never formally requested a trade does not answer that.An anonymously sourced account of an amicable trade may not be the full explanation for how the relationship ended. Atlanta was quite a landing spot for the 24-year-old forward. The Dream went 30-14 the season before Reese arrived, and she has helped them reach the Finals this year. Reese had also compared coming to Atlanta with transferring from Maryland to LSU, where she helped win a national championship.Angel Reese Winning MentalitySo she was asked a second question: How does she balance looking for a new opportunity to win against staying where she is and trying to build a winner? I mean, anywhere I go, I am looking to win, Reese said. I have won at every level I have been at. So I know me coming into any situation that I am coming to, it is a winning mentality.Reese says she brings a winning mentality wherever she goes. But her Chicago exit deserves scrutiny as the Atlanta Dream prepare for the WNBA Finals. The Dream won 30 games in 2025 prior to Reese's arrival, and she deserves credit for helping the team reach the Finals. Still, the full story of how her time in Chicago ended remains a topic of debate.