The sports world was sent reeling late last night as the Chicago Sky organization dropped a bombshell, announcing that head coach Teresa Weatherspoon had officially removed All-Star forward Angel Reese from the active roster effective immediately, citing “conduct detrimental to the team” following weeks of escalating tension linked to Reese’s very public feud with fellow superstar Caitlin Clark.

According to sources with direct knowledge of the situation, Weatherspoon made the decision after a closed-door meeting with Reese turned explosive, with the star player allegedly refusing to accept accountability for her role in the ongoing drama with Clark and instead directing blame at teammates and coaching staff.

The move, which comes just days before the Sky’s crucial playoff push, signals a stunning collapse in the relationship between Reese and the franchise she helped lead to relevance—and has insiders wondering if her time in the WNBA is nearing an abrupt end.

The roots of this fracture trace back to the infamous on-court incident between Reese and Caitlin Clark during last season’s Finals, where Reese’s taunting of Clark sparked a firestorm of debate about sportsmanship that never truly extinguished.

In the months since, Reese has remained vocal about her disdain for Clark, engaging in subtle jabs on social media and reportedly freezing out any teammates who expressed admiration for the Indiana Fever star.

Matters reached a boiling point during a recent team film session, when Sky veterans brought up Clark’s record-breaking performance as a teaching moment, only for Reese to storm out of the room, allegedly calling Clark a “fraud” and dismissing her accomplishments.

This outburst, sources say, was the final straw for Weatherspoon, who had already grown frustrated with Reese’s “divisive energy” and lack of focus during critical games.

“Teresa tried to mediate, to get Angel to understand that this obsession was hurting the team,” one insider revealed. “But Angel wouldn’t hear it. She’s made Caitlin Clark her personal villain, and it’s consuming her.”

For Angel Reese, this removal represents a catastrophic fall from grace for a player who, just two years ago, was hailed as the future of the WNBA after leading LSU to a national championship and becoming a cultural icon.

Her arrival in Chicago was met with massive fanfare, with the Sky selling out season tickets and marketing campaigns built entirely around her fiery persona and dominance in the paint.

In her first season with the team, Reese averaged a double-double and guided Chicago to the conference finals, earning All-WNBA honors and endorsements with major brands like Reebok and Amazon.

However, as her second season progressed, subtle signs of volatility emerged—public arguments with officials, visible frustration with teammates during losses, and an increasing preoccupation with her rivalry with Clark.

The tipping point came last week when Clark’s Fever eliminated the Sky in a heated playoff series, with Reese shooting just 6-of-20 from the field while appearing disengaged defensively, leading to pointed criticism from Weatherspoon in the post-game press conference.

The reaction to Reese’s removal was swift and polarized, with the hashtag #ReeseDone trending globally within minutes. Longtime Sky fans expressed heartbreak, with one tweeting, “After everything she did for this city, they’re cutting her? This is a nightmare.”

Others, however, sided with the organization, arguing that Reese had become “bigger than the team” and that her fixation on Clark had sabotaged Chicago’s championship hopes. Memes depicting Reese as a ticking time bomb flooded timelines, while bettors scrambled to adjust futures odds on the Sky’s playoff chances.

Inside Wintrust Arena, employees described an atmosphere of “stunned silence,” with one staffer revealing that the front office had already begun preparing termination paperwork, suggesting Reese may be formally released rather than traded.

Season ticket holders received automated alerts about refunds for future games, fueling speculation that the franchise was preparing for a full reset.

National media outlets dissected the news with a mix of shock and skepticism, questioning whether Weatherspoon had overreacted or made a necessary stand. On FS1’s Undisputed, Shannon Sharpe argued, “This isn’t about Caitlin Clark—it’s about Angel Reese refusing to grow up.

At some point, you have to be professional.” Meanwhile, ESPN’s Rebecca Lobo noted, “The WNBA has no room for players who let personal vendettas destroy team chemistry. Teresa Weatherspoon had to draw a line.”

League insiders revealed that several teams, including the Las Vegas Aces and New York Liberty, had already placed exploratory calls to Chicago’s front office about acquiring Reese, though her massive contract and volatile reputation made any potential deal “high-risk.”

“Everyone sees the talent, but nobody wants the drama,” said a Western Conference executive. “If Chicago cuts her, she’ll clear waivers fast—but who’s going to take that gamble?”

Anonymous sources within the Sky locker room painted a picture of a team fractured beyond repair, with Reese’s presence described as “toxic” in recent weeks. One veteran player claimed that Reese had been “openly mocking” teammates who she felt weren’t “loyal” to her anti-Clark stance, creating an us-vs.-them dynamic.

Another source cited Reese’s social media activity as a major issue, noting she would frequently like posts criticizing Sky management while promoting her own brand deals during team flights.

The final breaking point, according to this source, was Reese’s decision to skip a mandatory team bonding event after the playoff loss to attend a high-profile NIL event, leaving coaches and players feeling disrespected. “It wasn’t just about Caitlin anymore,” the source said. “It was about Angel thinking she was above the team.”

For Caitlin Clark, this development represents a bizarre and unsettling escalation in a feud that has defined both players’ early careers. While Clark has largely avoided commenting on Reese since their Finals clash, sources close to her indicate she is “bemused but not surprised” by the news, believing Reese’s obsession has been “self-destructive” from the start.

If Reese is released, Clark’s Fever could potentially put in a claim, though Indiana’s salary cap situation makes it unlikely. Still, the mere possibility of them teaming up—or facing off again—would be the ultimate plot twist in a rivalry that has gripped the sports world.

For Reese, however, the immediate future is bleak: if she clears waivers, she would become an unrestricted free agent at season’s end, forcing her to rebuild her value on a minimum contract with a team willing to bet on her talent outweighing her turbulence.

The financial repercussions for Reese are already catastrophic. Beyond losing her remaining salary for this season, she now faces the near-certainty of having endorsement deals voided due to morality clauses, with brands like Amazon and Beats reportedly “reviewing their options.”

Her upcoming documentary, which had been positioned as a candid look at her life, now risks being shelved or re-edited to avoid the controversy. Industry analysts estimate that this incident could cost her “upwards of $5 million in lost earnings” over the next two years as companies shy away from an athlete labeled “unreliable.”

Even Reese’s collegiate legacy at LSU is being reexamined, with some fans wondering if her on-court intensity had always masked a lack of emotional control that was bound to surface at the professional level.

As Reese faces an uncertain future, the Chicago Sky must now pick up the pieces without their most recognizable star. Weatherspoon is expected to lean heavily on veterans like Kahleah Copper and Marina Mabrey, while young players like Dana Evans will be thrust into larger roles.

The team’s playoff hopes, already hanging by a thread, have all but evaporated with Reese’s removal, turning their remaining games into an audition for next season. Ticket sales, which were pacing well before this crisis, are expected to plummet, and corporate sponsors may demand rebates for unmet appearances.

Internally, the focus shifts to fostering a healthier culture—one less reliant on individual stardom and more on collective resilience. “This is a reset button,” one Sky staffer stated. “We lost our way by letting one player’s ego dominate. Now we rebuild.”

Across the WNBA, this stunning removal is being viewed as a watershed moment for player accountability—and the limits of organizational patience with off-court drama.

In an era where stars like Breanna Stewart and A’ja Wilson have used their platforms to advocate for change, Reese’s situation underscores that not all franchises will tolerate behavior that undermines team success. It also highlights the unique challenges faced by coaches in managing generational talents who come with massive egos and social media followings.

If Reese is indeed done in Chicago, it could serve as a cautionary tale for other young stars about the dangers of letting rivalries consume them, while simultaneously warning teams about the risks of building an entire identity around a single volatile personality.

As the sports world digests this seismic development, one question hangs in the air: Is Angel Reese’s WNBA career over? While she will likely land somewhere next season—her talent is too immense to ignore—the road back will be steep.

She will need to find a franchise willing to take a chance on her, accept a diminished role, and prove she can be a positive locker-room presence. Most importantly, she must finally move on from her obsession with Caitlin Clark. If she can do that, there is still time for redemption.

But if not, this moment in Chicago will be remembered as the beginning of the end for a superstar who couldn’t get out of her own way. For now, all eyes are on the waiver wire and Reese’s next move—and whether she can salvage a career that once seemed destined for greatness.