Angel Reese Greets Terence Crawford Before Canelo Alvarez Fight Amid Chicago Sky Saga

Angel Reese greeted Terence Crawford in his locker room before Crawford’s highly anticipated fight with Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, posing for a photograph that showed Reese towering over the former two-division champion.

The bout, for Alvarez’s undisputed middleweight title, was part of the Riyadh Season showcase and was streamed live on Netflix. Crawford, who moved up three weight classes for the fight, and Alvarez have been ranked near the top of pound-for-pound lists in recent years.

Reese’s appearance at the Las Vegas event comes amid a public dispute with her WNBA team, the Chicago Sky. The team suspended Reese for one half of a game after comments she made to the Chicago Tribune that the organization said were “detrimental to the team.” In that interview, Reese told the Tribune she would not be “settling for the same s–t we did this year,” and suggested she might do “what’s best for me” if conditions did not change.

Following her suspension, Reese did not appear in the Sky’s final three regular-season games. The team listed her absence as the result of a back injury.

"Angel is an ascending young talent in this league who’s had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago," Sky head coach Jeff Pagliocca said in remarks provided by the team. "Obviously, we went through what we did. I feel like we closed the chapter on it. She spoke to her teammates. She spoke publicly. We moved on as a team. She’s a special player. And I have good conversations with Angel daily, with her team daily. They’re constant, and they’re productive."

The Sky did not provide additional details about Reese’s physical status beyond the back-injury designation, nor did they outline a specific timetable for her return. Team officials have characterized recent discussions with Reese and her representatives as ongoing and constructive.

Reese, a forward known for her rebounding and physical play, rose to national prominence during her college career and has maintained a high profile since entering the WNBA. Her absence from the closing games of the Sky’s season drew attention because it followed the suspension tied to her Tribune comments and because the team was managing its roster late in the campaign.

Her presence at the Crawford-Alvarez fight illustrates her continued visibility in high-profile sports settings even as the Sky and Reese navigate their internal matters. The fight itself drew global attention, pairing two elite boxers on a card staged as part of the broader international entertainment series.

Reese and the Sky did not immediately respond to requests for further comment. The team and player will face decisions about roster status and communication in the weeks ahead as the WNBA prepares for the offseason and teams finalize plans for 2026.