Angel Reese and Flau’jae Johnson weren’t just teammates at LSU. They were like sisters during that unforgettable 2023 title run—amply visible during the Amazon Prime docuseries The Money Game: LSU that followed the duo during their 2023–24 season run. When Reese got drafted into the WNBA, Johnson was one of the happiest, almost feeling like she was the one walking across that stage when her former teammate’s name was called out.

“Fired up,” “proud,” and just plain happy—she felt it all. “When her name got called, I felt like it was a win for everybody. I was so proud of her, I told her congratulations,” Johnson had shared with Kevin Hart on NBA Unplugged in April last year. Unfortunately, things had already soured by then.

It all began out of the blue in November 2023 when Reese’s mother, Angel Webb Reese, turned her social media into a battleground by indirectly taking shots at Johnson’s mother. “Folks pls do not send me long text msgs with a bunch of grammatical errors it gives me a headache,” Webb wrote. “How do I know you said what you said if I can’t understand what you’re saying?” Brooks, not one to hold back either, responded with a comment that must have stung. “You definitely know about grammar errors when your daughter got a 2.0 or less GPA. And in fact when writing your smart message you didn’t capitalize nor did you use any periods,” Brooks said.

Then, last year, in September, Reese confirmed the fallout, saying, “I still support Flau’jae. We aren’t as close as we used to be.” And most recently, Johnson also echoed the same during an appearance on “The Breakfast Club” on Monday. She bluntly admitted, “We’re not friends.” This was her opening statement, and that tells you a lot. “But I mean that bond that we had, that thing that we did together, winning a national championship, you can never take that away from us,” she continued. And till now, everyone thought it was only the mothers’ banter that soured their relationship as well. But, there seems to be a lot more behind the curtains. “It was a lot of locker room stuff like you know what I’m saying stuff that go on behind the scenes,” she said.

This comment comes at a time when people have been anticipating Johnson’s arrival in the Chicago Sky squad. As Colin Salao of Front Office Sports had chimed in, “The Sky are going to need another perimeter creator in the 2026 draft. Are we going to start talking about how Flau‘jae Johnson will be available for the Sky to just create the 2023–24 LSU roster”. Fair to say that those hopes might have to rest for the time being. Especially now, when Sky is making history in the worst manner possible, and everyone is pointing to locker room concerns.

Their latest game vs the shorthanded Indiana Fever  (a 79-52 blowout loss) at United Center marked Chicago’s lowest scoring total since 2011. It even tied for the fifth-lowest in franchise history.

The lack of chemistry echoed in every missed shot, mistimed pass, and blank stare on the bench. And to fix that, the Sky will need more than timeouts and film sessions. They’ll need truth, real conversations, and full accountability behind the scenes. Because no amount of talent or tunnel fits can substitute for trust. And with their floor general gone, the clock is ticking faster than ever.

The Chicago Sky’s second matchup of the season with the Indiana Fever came crashing down. With 5:29 left in the first quarter, veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot drove to the basket and suddenly collapsed in pain, clutching her right knee. As staff hurried to shield her with towels and teammates surrounded her with concern, it was clear: this wasn’t just a minor bump. Minutes later, Vandersloot was helped to the locker room, officially ruled out before most fans had even settled into their seats.

Head coach Tyler Marsh had emphasized mental toughness this season, specifically, not letting bad offense seep into defense. But once Vandersloot went down, that philosophy hit the floor, too. The Sky couldn’t find their rhythm on either end. They shot a dismal 32.1% from the field and just 20% from deep.

The Fever, despite being without their superstar Caitlin Clark and head coach Stephanie White, were unbothered. They zipped the ball around with ease, dishing out 20 assists on 27 field goals. Four players hit double-digit scores, and by the time the third quarter ended, Indiana was up by 29.

The onus now is on Tyler Marsh. How does he plan to climb out of this pit?