Former LSU star Angel Reese's trade to Atlanta is big WNBA news

Former LSU National Champion Angel Reese is on the move in a major move made by one of the WNBA’s best teams.

On Monday, one of the most dominant rebounders in WNBA history was traded from the Chicago Sky to the Atlanta Dream in a blockbuster deal that could immediately shift the balance of power in the WNBA’s Eastern Conference.

Chicago agreed to send Reese to Atlanta in exchange for the Dream’s first-round picks in 2027 and 2028. As part of the deal, Atlanta also receives the right to swap second-round picks with the Sky in 2028.

For LSU fans, it marks the latest chapter in the ongoing career of one of the most decorated players in program history.

Reese, who transferred to from Maryland to LSU ahead of the 2022-23 season, instantly changed the trajectory of Kim Mulkey’s program. In her first season in Baton Rouge, Reese was a cornerstone piece to the Tigers upsetting Iowa in the title game for the schools first basketball National Championship. Reese earned Most Outstanding Player honors at the Final Four.

Reese averaged 23 points and 15 rebounds during LSU’s championship season, becoming the face of a title run that elevated Mulkey’s program back onto the national stage. Reese turned in another dominant season the following year before LSU was beaten by UCLA in the Elite 8.

The Chicago Sky grabbed Reese with the No. 7 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft that was stacked with elite college talent.

In just two WNBA seasons, Reese has already established herself as one of the league’s premier frontcourt players, earning All-Star honors in both seasons while averaging 14 points and 13 rebounds per game during her time Chicago.

Reese has 49 career double-doubles, and she led the WNBA in rebounding in each of her first two seasons, including a 2025 campaign in which she averaged 15 points, 13 rebounds and 4 assists per game.

It was enough for Atlanta, a team that finished with the third-best record in the WNBA before being eliminated in the first round of the playoffs this past season, to make the move to get Reese on the Dream’s roster – even if it cost first-round picks to get the deal across the finish line,.

“Angel is a dynamic talent and a perfect fit for what we are building in Atlanta,” Dream general manager Dan Padover said. “She has already proven herself as one of the most impactful players in the league, and her competitiveness, production and drive to win align seamlessly with our vision.”

Dream head coach Karl Smesko echoed that sentiment.

“Angel’s ability to impact the game on both ends of the floor is elite,” Smesko said. “Her energy, toughness and instincts will thrive in our system.”

The Dream are coming off a franchise-best 30-win season, making this a move that puts Reese in immediate contention for deep postseason runs after two seasons in Chicago that most recently saw the Sky finish with the second-worst record in the WNBA.

For Reese, it’s a trade that is likely welcomed with open arms.

“I’m not settling for the same s— we did this year,” Reese said following the Sky’s season. “We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That’s a non-negotiable for me.”

Now, she joins an Atlanta roster that is littered with talent.

“I’m beyond grateful for the opportunity to join the Atlanta Dream organization,” Reese said. “I’m focused on continuing to grow my game, competing at the highest level, connecting with the fans, and giving everything I’ve got to the Dream.”

After winning a National Championship at LSU, a WNBA Championship is now very much within reach for one of the league’s best young players.