Angel Reese is staying in Chicago — at least for the foreseeable future.

The star’s tenure with the Sky has been stuck in limbo for three months after a contentious end to the season that resulted in a half-game suspension for the two-time WNBA All-Star. Reese still is not overly effusive about her future with the team. But during media availability at Team USA camp Friday, she did not feed any speculation about leaving the Sky for the 2026 season.

“I’m under contract so, yes, I plan on returning to the Sky,” Reese said Friday in Durham, N.C. “(I’m) continuing to talk to (coach) Tyler (Marsh) and building that relationship with (GM) Jeff (Pagliocca) and Tyler.”

The Sky’s second season with Reese unraveled in September when the forward criticized her teammates, coaching staff and team ownership in an interview with the Chicago Tribune. The team waited three days before announcing a half-game suspension for Reese, who ultimately sat out the final 3 1/2 games of the season with a back injury. Reese also opted out of end-of-season exit interviews with the media.

Reese has never voiced a desire to leave Chicago before the end of her rookie contract. The forward is entering the third year of that deal, with a team option the Sky are expected to pick up in 2027. But the end-of-season fallout sparked speculation that Reese might attempt to force her way out. Internally, the Sky were never seriously concerned about her asking for a trade — a request the front office would have honored had it been made.

Still, Reese has been blunt about her disappointment with the lack of success and organizational dysfunction that have defined her first two years in Chicago.

“I am very vocal about what we need and what I want,” Reese told the Tribune in September. “I only have a guaranteed four years here. And I’d like to be here for my career, but if things don’t pan out, obviously I might have to move in a different direction and do what’s best for me. But while I am here, I’m going to try to stay open minded about what I have here and maximize that as much as I can.”

Pagliocca and Marsh have been at the forefront of the Sky’s attempts to smooth over the conflict with Reese. But for the Sky, improving the relationship is an issue that extends all the way to the top of the organization.

Ownership made the decision to suspend Reese, a disciplinary action that undermined the star’s trust of the organization, according to a source. The team already spent last winter attempting to bridge trust with Reese after the September 2024 firing of coach Teresa Weatherspoon, who remains a trusted mentor to the forward.

Trust and investment are key pieces to maintaining a relationship with Reese. But if the Sky want to retain her beyond 2027, they have to make one key change — start winning.

Reese has been vocal about changes she wants to see within the organization, including improvements to the existing plans for the training facility in Bedford Park and requests for expansions to the training and medical staff. But she also has made it clear that her main source for frustration is the team’s lack of success.

The Sky went a combined 23-61 in the two seasons since Reese was drafted with the No. 7 pick in 2024, missing the playoffs both years. And they took a step back in 2025, finishing 10-34 (.227), the second-worst winning percentage in franchise history.

If the Sky don’t alter this pattern, they will struggle to retain Reese past her rookie contract — even if they succeed in repairing the rift in the relationship.

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