Angel Reese Gets Honest About Chicago Trade While Embracing Life In Atlanta

The 2026 season will bring in new excitement with new teams and also many revamped rosters looking to challenge for the championship. Many teams looked to address their shortcomings in the free agency and expansion drafts, but the Atlanta Dream made a massive move by trading for Angel Reese.

The franchise sent two future first-round picks for the megastar, strengthening its core. Reese also shared an optimistic message after the trade. In her first press conference as an Atlanta Dream Player, Reese opened up on her time in Chicago and expectations from the Dream franchise.

Angel Reese Talks About Her Time With Chicago Sky

The 2024 rookie entered the league as a former national champion and was one of the cornerstone players for the Sky’s big project. Though things went south since her arrival, the team decided to part ways with the mega trade. Speaking to the media as a Dream player now, Reese had a special message for her first franchise.

“I’m always going to be grateful for that because I did experience a lot of great things,” Reese said. “I enjoyed being able to grow within my first two years, but I wanted more. I love to win, I love to compete.”

"It lowkey makes me emotional because I haven't had this, and I'm really grateful" 🥹

Angel Reese on what it means to be on the Atlanta Dream ❤️ pic.twitter.com/EelAgDqLLT

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) April 17, 2026

“And I am not satisfied with what I am as a player, and I felt like being around these kinds of players would help me be better. I can help them in different ways to help them win, and that’s all I ever wanted. I don’t care about anything else that comes with it, I want to win and being able to come to an organization that really cared about their players,” Reese added.

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Although the player thanked the Sky organization in the first half of her answer, in the second part she highlighted her aim to win the championship. The player certainly joins a contender team, which, now with Reese’s addition, ranks amongst the top five starting line-ups for the 2026 season.

Atlanta Dream GM Lauds Angel Reese Trade

As much as the trade was a shock for the fanbase, the Dream COO and President, Morgan Shaw Parker, said Reese is perfect for the Atlanta Culture. The GM also recently spoke about the trade, and mentioned that acquiring Reese when she became available was a “no-brainer for us.”

@AtlantaDream GM Dan Padover on the #Dream press conference: “When Angel [Reese] became available for us, it was a no brainer for us.”#AtlantaDream #WNBA

— Wilton C. Jackson II (@WiltonReports) April 12, 2026

With multiple All-Stars around her and perfect synergy within the team, Reese would have a realistic chance of winning a title with the Atlanta Dream team. The player had been a double-double machine for the Chicago Sky and would be more impactful for the Atlanta team with the right game plan.