Missed it by that much.
Sky forward Angel Reese finished slightly behind Mercury forward Satou Sabally for the sixth and final frontcourt spot Monday evening as the WNBA announced the 10 starters for the 2025 All-Star Game later this month.
It was a tough break for Reese, the second-year “mebounder,” but peel back the onion and things start to look a lot more promising.
Three groups got to weigh in on the All-Star starters: the fans, who voted Reese fifth at her position; the players, who voted her 12th, and the media (also 12th). Although fans don’t always have the most discerning taste in hoops (Caitlin Clark’s Fever bestie, role player Lexie Hull, finished in the top 10 in fan voting), Reese is an entre-preneur who knows the value of a devoted following. To rank fifth among fans underscores what anyone following the Sky can see: Reese has supporters in every arena (probably even closeted ones in Indiana).
Now for the so-called “smart” votes: the players and the media. Reese probably would have liked to finish higher than 12th, but the frontcourt is so loaded in the WNBA that even Mercury forward Alyssa Thomas — often cited as the type of superstar Reese can become — wasn’t named a starter. And if the player/media vote determined the 12 All-Star reserves, Reese already would be squarely in the mix.
Instead, the coaches get to choose. Luckily for Reese, that group is pretty high on her, too. Talk to any opposing coach before a Sky game, and they’re ruminating about how to keep Reese off the boards, acknowledging that there’s no good way to prepare for it or stop her consistently.
On Sunday, Reese became the first WNBA player to finish with 15 or more rebounds in four straight games.
“When somebody can’t stop you on the boards, it leads to more points for us,” she said after the 92-85 road win over the Sparks.
It also leads to recognition: Reese was named Eastern Conference Player of the Week after averaging 19.7 points on 48.9% shooting last week.
Not bad for a player still dealing with all sorts of moving parts. Her coach is experimenting with her role, she’s figuring out how to avoid getting blocked around the rim and the Sky (5-11) are still figuring out how to win.
That Reese has remained an unstoppable rebounder despite those sophomore struggles means something — for her and the organization. Drafting her with the No. 7 pick in 2024 probably will go down as one of the better picks in Sky history (as long as their 2026 pick, which they gave to the Lynx to draft Reese last year and guard Hailey Van Lith this year, doesn’t turn out to be an even bigger star).
The rest of the All-Star voting? Not so rosy. The Sky have no starters. Only Reese cracked the top 10 at her position. At least they avoided the full snub club; the tanking Sun and expansion Valkyries didn’t land a player in the top 10 at any position.
But it’s not exactly encouraging for a team that needs to make noise in free agency in 2026. Reese’s presence alone won’t be enough, not when the Sky still practice in a public recreation center and have little evidence that their offseason swings are paying off. And especially not when Monday’s other big news was this: In addition to the two expansion teams coming in 2026, three more billionaire-backed teams will join the league by the end of the decade.
If there was ever a time for Sky ownership to invest in getting ahead of the curve — say, by fast-tracking its new practice facility or building out a front-office staff — it was three years ago. The second-best time is now.
