Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese captivated WNBA fans during her first professional season. Her on-court abilities were something to behold as her tenacious effort on the glass helped her lead the league in rebounds per game last season en route to All-Star and All-Rookie honors. Despite coming up short in the Rookie of the Year Award voting behind Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark, Reese carved out a loyal fanbase for herself in her rookie season. She had a large contingent of fans who supported her through every off-the-court venture and advocated for her with every exaggerated news story that came out.

Unfortunately, her inaugural season with the Sky was cut short due to a wrist injury, which prevented the team from making the playoffs. She returned with a vengeance in the Unrivaled League and won the Championship, earning Second-Team Honors along the way. Reese did miss the end of the Unrivaled season, once again due to a wrist injury. However, she recently posted a video of herself working out, which relieved both Sky and WNBA fans. On Wednesday, she posted a series of pictures on Instagram in which she is going through a workout, and she had a quick message ahead of the WNBA season. “Let the countdown begin,” wrote Reese. The Chicago Sky will take the court for the first time on May 17 as they travel to Indiana to take on Clark and the Fever. Before that, Chicago will add a handful of new players in the WNBA Draft, which is next Monday, April 14.

Former Chicago Sky Star Out of the WNBA After Caitlin Clark Incident

Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark had a historic WNBA rookie season. After breaking the NCAA scoring record at Iowa, Clark averaged 19.2 points, 5.7 rebounds and 8.4 assists in her first year as a professional. She also broke the league’s single-season assists record while leading Indiana to its first playoff appearance since 2016. One of the biggest conversations surrounding Clark in her rookie season was the physicality she faced from opponents. This became a major storyline when Chicago Sky guard Chennedy Carter knocked Clark to the floor in an away from the play foul. The incident sparks days of national coverage, with Carter also taking to social media the next day to question what Clark brings to the table besides 3-point shooting (via Bleacher Report).

While most of the attention she received last season was due to this incident, Carter was a productive player for Chicago. Leading the team in scoring with 17.5 points per game, Carter was a critical piece to the Sky’s offense. This is why many fans have found it strange she is now out of the WNBA.

Entering unrestricted free agency after last season, Carter projected to be a sought-after player on the open market. With the WNBA season just over one month away, she remains out of the league. There has been speculation among fans that Carter being unsigned at this point in the offseason is related to the Clark incident. “Chennedy Carter should be on a WNBA roster,” a fan wrote on X. “She had a phenomenal season & an even better off-season overseas.

I really hope that the reason she hasn’t been signed yet is because she dared to play Caitlin Clark tough!” “I think Chennedy might be blackballed because of the hip check on @ Caitlin Clark,” claimed another. “If she doesn’t make a WNBA roster, they’re definitely sending a message to the rest of the league. CC’s their golden goose for now.”