Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is already looking to recruit new teammates after finishing her rookie WNBA season.
The 22-year-old replied to two-time WNBA All-Star Allisha Gray’s Instagram post, with the Atlanta Dream guard closing the chapter on another season. “And that’s a wrap, until next time!” Gray wrote with a selection of photos from the 2024 WNBA season.
Reese was quick to comment, replying: “Let’s be teammates for unrivaled?? Thanks. ~management.” While some Chicago fans started wondering if Reese was hoping to recruit Gray for the Sky, she was focusing on Unrivaled, a 3v3 league co-founded by Minnesota Lynx‘s Napheesa Collier and New York Liberty‘s Breanna Stewart.
The league consists of 30 players and starts in January, with all games being played in Miami over 10 weeks. All players will be divided into six teams of five players, and Reese is looking to ensure she’s on the same team as Gray.
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Reese was the 10th player to officially join Unrivaled and told the Chicago Tribune: “Staying in Miami from January to March without heading overseas was a major draw. I never planned on going overseas. Knowing two great players like Breanna and Napheesa are behind this, who wouldn’t want to be part of it? I knew they’d bring in more top talent.
“Many of us dread going overseas, but some have no choice. Earning six figures here in just three months is a game-changer. Plus, 3×3 basketball is something I love. It’s a chance to hone individual skills because the game exposes everything.”
When Reese was selected seventh overall by the Sky in the 2024 WNBA Draft, she agreed to terms on a four-year, $324,383 contract including an average annual salary of $81,096. First-round NBA rookies can expect to make at least 10 times that amount, and the average NBA salary for the 2023-24 season exceeded $12 million, while WNBA players earned an average of just $116,580.
Money is a major factor in signing up for Unrivaled, as the league is reportedly offering an average salary of $250,000. For eight weeks of work, Reese can earn over three years of her WNBA salary in just two months. Reese won’t be alone in Unrivaled, as WNBA stars such as Kelsey Plum, Arike Ogunbowale, Jackie Young, and Chelsea Gray have also signed up.
Reese is still recovering from a wrist injury that ended her rookie season prematurely, forcing her to miss the final six games of the year. Reese needed surgery after fracturing her wrist but has already stopped wearing a brace and is on the road to a full recovery.
Competing in Unrivaled will be beneficial ahead of Reese’s second season, and she’s already planned how to tackle the upcoming offseason. “This offseason is going to be about confidence for me,” Reese said to the Chicago Tribune. “I know I can hit the shots, but it’s just going into it with that mindset, like: ‘It’s OK if you missed the first shot. Take the second. If you missed the second, take the third.’”
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