Another meeting took place on Monday and the vagueness persists. With just three months until the start of the season and significant gaps between the league and the players, the question of where athletes will play and under what conditions is becoming increasingly unclear. And as this unfolds, Angel Reese seems to have already circled her destination.
The striker was recently in Australia to promote her new Reebok shoe, the Angel Reese 1 in Rose Dust. And while she was there she noticed“Maybe, maybe one day. I love Australia, so maybe I’ll come here and play a match or two.”
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If she decides to make an appearance Down Under, it wouldn’t really be a surprise, especially since Australia has a long history of attracting top American talent. Jackie Young, Marina Mabrey and Jordin Canada have all played in the WNBL over the past five seasons. Han Xu currently plays for Perth but plans to return to the American league eventually.
To top it all off, Reese has a strong connection to Australia from his university days. She won an NCAA title with LSU alongside Australian point guard Last-Tear Poar, which made her respect the country’s defensive style even more.
October 26, 2023: Angel Reese 10 of LSU drives to the basket during an exhibition NCAA, College League, USA Women s Basketball game between the East Texas Baptist Tigers and the LSU Tigers at the Pete Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge, LA. /CSM Baton Rouge United States – ZUMAc04_ 20231026_zma_c04_017 Copyright: xJonathanxMailhesx
“You guys are great defenders,” Reese said. “My favorite defensive teammate is Last-Tear, she literally risks everything. I remember one time she got charged, hit her head on the ground, but she risked everything for the team. It gives me chills now, talking about it when we won a national championship together. Knowing that (the Australians) always have your back, they are great competitors and great people.”
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From Michele Timms and Sandy Brondello to Lauren Jackson and Penny Taylor, Australians have long been respected for their approach to defense, both internationally and on the WNBA stage. Last year, Alanna Smith won WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, while Ezi Magbegor was a first-team All-Defensive selection a year prior and made the second team twice, most recently in 2025.
Now, the timing of the two-time WNBA All-Star’s commentary is important because of ongoing negotiations with the CBA. In the first in-person meeting held for a new collective agreement since October, the session in New York lasted three hours and was “helpful” to both sides. However, Nneka Ogwumike said Sports at reception that players were frustrated that the league had not presented a counterproposal to the union’s latest offer.
The WNBA’s most recent offer included an average salary of $530,000 and a maximum salary of $1.3 million in the first year of the deal. In contrast, the players’ most recent offer called for an average salary of more than $800,000.
“I’m not going to settle for the same thing we did this year. We have to recruit good players. We have to recruit great players. That’s non-negotiable for me,” Reese said.The Chicago Tribune.
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His stance shows that many players are frustrated by stalled negotiations and disagreements over how to share revenue. The season is scheduled to begin May 8, but an expansion draft, free agency and rookie draft are also scheduled to take place before the league begins.
And in the meantime, let’s think a little about the 23-year-old.
What makes Angel Reese an interesting international prospect?
The fight for workers’ rights is not just about money and contracts. It changes everything from how players heal from injuries to when teams can prepare for the season. Angel Reese’s injury is a great example of how things can get out of control. Fans were shocked when she did not appear at all in the second season of Unrivaled.
Credit: IMAGNE
They loved watching her dominate the first year of the league. She was unstoppable with the Rose Basketball Club, as she led them to the championship and became the most exciting player in the league. Now imagine if she brought the same firepower to the WNBL!
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Reese had a nagging back injury that kept her out of 14 games during the 2025 WNBA season. Things got worse toward the end when she missed the final games of the season in Chicago. But whenever she was healthy and on the floor, she always put up numbers that made people sit up and take notice.
In the 30 games she played last year, Reese averaged 14.7 points and made 45.8 percent of her shots. When you look at rebounds, the numbers get even crazier. She averaged 12.6 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 1.5 steals per game in about 31 minutes. It was the best in the league. She was even named an All-Star for the second year in a row.
If all goes well, Reese will be fully healed by the start of the 2026 season and ready to go. On May 9, Chicago will open its campaign against Portland and the expansion team Fire. Who do you think will win? Let us know in the comments.
