Did The Atlanta Dream Pull A Fast One On The Chicago Sky? A Closer Look At The Angel Reese Trade

Move over, CBA negotiations: Angel Reese has taken over the WNBA headlines.

In what was the most glaring sign that the league is up and going again, the Chicago Sky traded Angel Reese (along with a 2028 second-round pick swap) to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for two first-round picks from Atlanta (2027 and 2028). Shortly after the trade was announced, Reese publicly (and wittily) declared her shift in allegiance.

“An Angel’s DREAM,” she tweeted. “ATL WHAT’S UP?!”

Every blockbuster deal, of course, comes with pros and cons for all parties involved. All things considered, who won this trade?

With the addition of Reese, the Dream have raised their ceiling as a postseason threat. The two-time WNBA All-Star now gets to team up with Allisha Gray and Rhyne Howard, two top-15 scorers in the league last season. With this formidable trio in place, the Dream may have also increased their chances of re-signing Gray, who is an unrestricted free agent this year.

Notably, the Dream led the WNBA in rebounds last year, collectively grabbing 36.6 boards per game. The arrival of Reese, who averaged a league-best 12.6 rpg, ensures that Atlanta will continue to dominate the glass for the foreseeable future. Also, with 35-year-old center Brittney Griner potentially leaving in free agency, the Dream now has a couple of bankable young frontcourt talents in Reese and Naz Hillmon.

If the Dream can now lean heavily towards a “win now” approach, the Sky are clearly playing the long game. Chicago is hoping that the draft capital acquired from Atlanta will turn into reliable young players that can help reverse their fortunes. Despite the arrival of twin towers Reese and Kamilla Cardoso via the 2024 WNBA Draft, the Sky have failed to reach the postseason over the past two seasons.

The fate of these acquired draft picks, however, lies in the hands of the team that dealt them. If the Dream lives up to their potential and goes on deep playoff runs over the next two seasons, the picks that they traded to the Sky will become late first-round selections. That, in turn, would lessen the chances of Chicago picking up potentially franchise-changing rookies.

For the Sky, the value of this trade ultimately lies in addition by subtraction. At the tail end of the 2025 season, Reese publicly aired out her frustrations with the team, slamming members of the front office and her Sky teammates alike. Given the organization’s strained relationship with Reese, it was only a matter of time before the Sky pulled the trigger on shipping her elsewhere.

The Sky can now move forward with a Reese-less future, but the optics are crystal clear at the moment. The Dream have secured the services of the best rebounder in the league, partnered her with two highly talented offensive weapons, and built an early case for playoff contention with fewer variables than their trade partner.