Angel Reese back injury update will frustrate Sky fans

Jeremy Beren

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Angel Reese back injury update will frustrate Sky fans image

Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images

After narrowly missing the playoffs in 2024, the Chicago Sky has not been able to build on the momentum that Kamilla Cardoso and Angel Reese brought to the franchise. The Sky has the second-lowest winning percentage in the WNBA and has lost 10 of the past 11 games -- many of them played without Reese, Chicago's blossoming superstar forward.

A back injury has slowed Reese in recent weeks; she last took to the court on July 29, playing 32 minutes in a loss to the Washington Mystics. The two-time All-Star has been absent for Chicago's last five games, but optimism over her return to action has been growing.

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Ahead of the Sky's visit to Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday though, Chicago head coach Tyler Marsh said that Reese would not face the Connecticut Sun -- and there is no timetable for her return.

"She wants to be out there," Marsh said from Uncasville. "She's a competitor, she's a fighter, she's a winner. It's hard for her not to be out there for her teammates, but we want her to be as healthy as possible."

Reese this season has missed eight games through injury, after her rookie season was cut short due to a hairline fracture in her left wrist. She has improved across the board in year two, increasing her points and assists per game output while shooting 44 percent from the floor.

But amid the Sky's continued struggles in 2025, Chicago believes it is making the right choice in prioritizing its franchise player's long-term future -- even if it augments fan frustration. 

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Jeremy Beren

Jeremy Beren is a freelance WNBA writer with The Sporting News. A Phoenix native, he is a graduate of Arizona State University's Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication, and he has a decade’s worth of sports journalism experience. Jeremy's work has appeared in publications such as Marca, SB Nation, Athlon Sports and Vice Sports. He currently lives in Fayetteville, Arkansas.