LAS VEGAS — Let’s go back to Tuesday afternoon, which in terms of Sky news already feels like a century ago.
The latest cycle of drama kicked off Wednesday morning with Angel Reese’s interview heard ‘round the world, in which she questioned the Sky’s direction and seemed to disparage her teammates.
By Wednesday night came a players-only meeting and Reese’s apology.
On Friday, the Sky suspended her for the first half of their game Sunday against the Storm for comments ‘‘detrimental to the team’’ and declared the matter resolved.
Understandably, they want to move forward.
Luckily, we have the luxury of going back. To Tuesday afternoon, that is. That was the day ownership met with Sky players about the new practice facility in Bedford Park.
The new facility is supposed to signal growth, a sign the Sky are catching up to the WNBA’s new infrastructure standard and listening to the needs of their players.
At the meeting, players not only saw renderings of the facility but also had a chance to give input about what they would like to see inside. Elizabeth Williams asked for aerated lockers, so sneakers wouldn’t be trapped in sweat. Ariel Atkins wanted a bathroom near the court. (‘‘You’d think that would be standard,’’ she said, but it isn’t.) Reese pushed for bigger everything: locker room, training room and office space for coaches.
Good ideas, all of them. The stuff of the collaborative process.
Underneath the surface, however, tension lingers.
The meeting itself underscored an awkward status quo: a pro sports team still practicing in a rec center shared with the public.
Meanwhile, billionaire owners have been buying into the league and erecting $60 million to $100 million facilities for years. The Sky’s facility, when it’s finished, will arrive three years late to the trend and at less than half the cost of the new standard.
They’re also behind their own schedule. Had the facility been finished on time, they could have showcased it to players — nearly all of whom will be free agents this offseason. Instead, executives now project a spring completion date, which means rosters already will have been set.
Team president Adam Fox told the Sun-Times last month that the Sky are focused on the long view. What matters, he said, is that the building will set them up for ‘‘five, 10, 15 years’’ down the road. Once it’s finished, the Sky would ‘‘lack nothing.’’
Fox also noted that teams have won without such facilities and that several still practice in shared spaces.
Both points are true. Only one problem: Reese doesn’t seem to share such an unhurried — or optimistic — view.
The day after the meeting, she was asked whether the Bedford Park project would help the Sky lure free agents.
‘‘Y’all saw the rec where we practice at,’’ she said. ‘‘I don’t think anybody wants to practice there.’’
Her tone in the interview heard ’round the world was similar. She questioned whether the facility could attract top players and said she would consider leaving the Sky if things didn’t ‘‘pan out.’’
Reese doesn’t appear to be waiting patiently, nor does she sound convinced that the new facility will be a game-changer.
And as long as her outlook remains this far apart from that of management, Bedford Park might end up symbolizing tension more than growth.