Angel Reese Poses With Terence Crawford Before Canelo Bout Amid Chicago Sky Saga

Angel Reese visited Allegiant Stadium on Saturday and posed for a photograph with Terence Crawford ahead of Crawford’s highly anticipated fight with Canelo Alvarez.

The bout, for Alvarez’s undisputed middleweight title, drew global attention as part of Turki Alalshikh’s “Riyadh Season” and was streamed live on Netflix. Crawford, long ranked among boxing’s pound-for-pound best, moved up three weight classes for the matchup.

Reese, a forward for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky, stood noticeably taller than Crawford in the photo that circulated on social media. Her appearance at the Las Vegas event comes amid an ongoing dispute with the Sky, which suspended her for one half of a game after comments she made to the Chicago Tribune that the team said were “detrimental to the team.”

In the interview with the Tribune, Reese said she would not be “settling for the same s–t we did this year,” and that she might do “what’s best for me” if conditions did not change. Following the suspension, Reese did not play in the Sky’s final three regular-season games, with the club listing her on the injury report with a back issue.

Sky head coach Jeff Pagliocca described Reese as "an ascending young talent in this league who’s had two very, very good seasons here in Chicago." Pagliocca said the team had addressed the matter internally, noting that Reese had spoken to her teammates and had talked publicly. "I feel like we closed the chapter on it," he said. "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 timing of Reese’s Las Vegas appearance intersects with heightened attention on athletes’ roles in and out of their sports. Reese rose to prominence in college and has drawn widespread attention for her play and personality in the WNBA. The Sky, meanwhile, did not provide additional comment beyond the suspension and the injury listing in the lead-up to their season’s conclusion.

Crawford’s fight with Alvarez was one of the highest-profile bouts of the year, featuring two fighters who have occupied the top tiers of boxing’s pound-for-pound lists. Crawford’s decision to move up three weight classes for the match and Alvarez’s status as undisputed middleweight champion helped generate international interest and a major streaming platform broadcast.

Reese’s presence at the event and the widely circulated photographs underscore the continuing public interest in her and in the broader interactions between professional athletes across sports. The Sky and Reese have characterized their communications as ongoing; the team and player have offered statements through their respective spokespeople and coaching staff but have not announced further disciplinary or roster actions since the season ended.