Angel Reese is sidelined for a 6th consecutive game. Will the Chicago Sky star play again this season?
Reese has not been cleared for basketball activities. She did not travel for the road game against the Indiana Fever on Saturday at the advice of the team's medical staff and attended Sky practice Monday at Sachs Recreation Center in street clothes.
The Sky have not shut Reese down for the season and are operating under the expectation she will be back. Despite her availability being labeled as day to day, however, the forward is not making visible progress toward a return.
Reese missed her first game of the season July 16 against the Atlanta Dream with a leg injury. That game was the final before the All-Star break, during which the forward participated fully in the All-Star Game and other activities in Indianapolis.
The back injury first emerged on the availability report after Reese played in the team's first game after the break on July 22. Reese missed the next two home games — including the second United Center matchup against the Indiana Fever — but pushed to return for the Sky's July 29 loss to the Washington Mystics.
That game marked an important moment for Reese — her first opportunity to play a WNBA game in front of her grandmother, who was in attendance in D.C. Despite her recovery status, Reese made a concerted effort to be available for that game. The forward logged 22 points and 13 rebounds but showed some visible discomfort as she shot less than 40% from the field for the first time in over a month.
Reese was fully shut down from activity after that game. She has not been cleared for any activity since then and has stayed home from at least two games.
Reese is averaging 14.2 points, 12.6 rebounds and 3.7 assists while shooting 44.4% from the field in her second consecutive All-Star season. Despite an evolving role that required her to shoulder more on-ball reps, Reese improved her scoring efficiency and playmaking in her sophomore season.
The Sky have won only one of the nine games they have played without Reese this season — last week's 74-68 victory over the Mystics, who have begun a controlled tank to close the year after trading away Brittney Sykes and Aaliyah Edwards.
Although the Sky are realistic about their odds of making the playoffs, they also do not benefit from ending the season on a skid. The Minnesota Lynx own the Sky's first-round pick in 2026, which means finishing the season in the lottery does not benefit them — and hands another weapon to the team with the best record in the league.
Time is the greatest barrier for Reese. The Sky, who at 8-23 own the second-worst record in the WNBA, have only 12 games — and four weeks — remaining in the season after Wednesday's home matchup against the Sun. And players typically require several days to ramp back up into game shape after multiweek absences, which means Reese might not be able to play immediately once she is medically cleared for contact.
Ultimately, Reese's ability to return this season will hinge on her recovery over the next week.
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