Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark, and Jacy Sheldon were all drafted in 2024. However, Reese has completely diverged from her peers after her playoff debut. For podcaster Jaime Lardis, the comparison raises questions.

"You’re right, but Angel Reese forced her way out of Chicago and landed on a playoff team," Lardis said, commenting on a post comparing Reese with the aforementioned players.

"Exactly, I said she should’ve stayed with Chicago. Meaning, her choice," Lardis further explained in a response to a fan in the comments.

Podcaster Jaime Lardis appears to be of the opinion that Reese made the choice to leave the Sky. However, she was actually traded to the Atlanta Dream in exchange for a 2027 first-round pick, a 2028 first-round pick, and a second-round pick swap.

The Dream were seeded No. 4 in the 2026 regular season. This was Reese's first time in the playoffs. She scored 13 points and added 12 rebounds to help the team win 92-77.

On the other hand, Caitlin Clark lost her first playoff game in 2025 against the Connecticut Sun 69-93 after scoring 11 points. She lost yet again this year as the Fever ended game one 85-102. Her current post-season record is 0-3.

The contrast between the rivals has only sharpened as teams prepare for game two of round one in the playoffs. For Reese, this is an opportunity that she did not receive when she was with the Sky.

Angel Reese was originally drafted seventh overall by the Chicago Sky in 2024. The team would not make the playoffs for two consecutive seasons after. Reese was ultimately traded to the Atlanta Dream in 2026.

Ahead of her trade, however, Reese and the Sky ran into controversy over comments made by the player, which drew sharp attention.

Looking back: Angel Reese and her clash with the Chicago Sky before the trade

Two months after being drafted by the Chicago Sky, Angel Reese had already become Rookie of the Month in July 2024. This was after she averaged 14.4 PPG and 13.2 rebounds per game.

Naturally, her trade came as a surprise to many. However, there was much tension leading up to it. In October 2023, the team hired coach Terea Weatherspoon, who was fired less than a year later after the team failed to make the playoffs.

Reese was "heartbroken" and called Weatherspoon the only person who believed in her. In 2025, the team missed the playoffs again.

Frustrated, Reese let it all out on her team. "We have to get good players. We have to get great players. That's a non-negotiable for me," she told the Chicago Tribune.

She even added that the team had to make sure they attract "the best of the best", because they can't "settle for what we have this year."

She later apologized for her comments but was still suspended by the Sky for the first half of the September 7, 2025, game against the Aces. Ultimately, she was traded to the Dream in 2026.

Now, Reese has won her first playoff game and may be able to move on to round two if the Dream win game two as well. This time, however, they will be on the Mystics' home court.

Written by

Prit Chauhan