WNBA trade: Angel Reese to Atlanta Dream causes major shift in futures odds

Perhaps the biggest WNBA trade in recent memory took place Monday, as the Atlanta Dream acquired polarizing star Angel Reese from the Chicago Sky in exchange for two first-round draft picks.

The trade caused a dramatic shift in the WNBA futures odds for the Dream. Before acquiring Reese, they were listed at a price of around +1800 to +2000 in most betting markets, a middling selection in the 15-team league. Now, they can be found at about +900 at most outlets, making them the fifth favorite in the 2026 WNBA championship future odds. At BetMGM, they are at +800, behind the defending champion Las Vegas Aces (+300), the Indiana Fever (+350), Minnesota Lynx (+375) and New York Liberty (+400).

Reese, 23, is averaging 14.1 points and 12.9 rebounds through the first two seasons of her WNBA career, leading the league in rebounding and making the All-Star team both years. But the former LSU star also has drawn the ire of critics in large part because of her inefficiency (42.1% from the field for her career) for a 6-3 forward who routinely gets a lot of high-percentage shots.

Reese also has seen her career hampered by injuries. She missed 14 games last season because of a back injury and saw her rookie season shortened by a broken wrist. What's more, there have been numerous reports that she is a divisive locker room presence, and last season she made headlines for publicly criticizing her team's performance.

Even so, the major change in the WNBA futures odds for the Dream suggests oddsmakers view Reese as an extremely impactful presence, because few players can cause such a significant shift in one team's price to win the championship. 

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Last year, the Dream finished 30-14 to land the No. 3 seed in the WNBA playoffs but lost to the Fever in the first round. The Sky finished 10-34 and missed the postseason. 

The WNBA historically sees a handful of yearly trades, though nowhere near the volume seen in the NBA. Moreover, trades involving star players are extremely rare. Perhaps the most noteworthy trade last season saw 2015 first overall pick Jewell Lloyd sent to Las Vegas, while four-time All Star Kelsey Plum landed in Los Angeles as part of a three-team deal that also involved the Seattle Storm acquiring two draft picks and Li Yueru.

Previous WNBA blockbuster trades have largely seen the move pay off for the club acquiring the star player. For instance, in 2017 the Sky sent 2015 MVP Elena Delle Donne to the Washington Mystics in exchange for two players and a first-round pick. Delle Donn led Washington to its first WNBA title in franchise history in 2019. 

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