Getty Angel Reese
Angel Reese is starting to find herself, even as her Chicago Sky continue to struggle. Chicago fell, 83-75, June 12 to the Connecticut Sun, marking their fourth loss in five games.
Reese posted her fourth straight double-double on Wednesday, scoring 20 points and pulling down 10 rebounds. Even better, she did her scoring on 8-10 shooting from the field for her most efficient performance of the season.
That’s a considerable improvement from her first month in the league when, even as a post player, she connected on just 37% of her shots.
Her fellow rookie, Kamilla Cardoso, has taken notice. Asked after the loss to the Sun what she has seen from Reese, Cardoso took the opportunity to point out that her doubters appear to be wrong. YouTube account TJ Sports Queens captured her comments in the postgame press conference.
“I think we build a great chemistry,” Cardoso said. “It’s just amazing playing with her and seeing her grow. I heard a lot of people saying her game wasn’t going to translate here and she’s doing it. She’s doing a better job and I’m super proud of her.”
That doubt is a major reason why Reese fell to No. 7 in the 2024 WNBA Draft despite being arguably the most well-known rookie in her class behind only Caitlin Clark. Reese wasn’t even the Sky’s first choice — they took Cardoso with their first pick at No. 3 overall.
Angel Reese Says Kim Mulkey Helped Prepare Her for the Pros
One of the reasons Reese has been able to improve so fast in the first months of her WNBA career could be because of her college coach. Speaking to CBS Sports HQ prior to the game against Connecticut, Reese reflected on her practices in the two seasons she spent at LSU under Hall of Fame coach Kim Mulkey.
Angel Reese credits practicing 4 hours a day at LSU for helping her transition into the WNBA:
“I thought training camp was going to be harder” 😅
“At LSU, our practice was like four hours,” Reese said. “We were ready, we were working. I thought training was going to be harder. I think I was really prepared. I didn’t have any WNBA surprises yet.”
Reese later added that even though he grueling practices have not surprised her yet, the competition humbled her early.
Angel Reese on her first welcome to the WNBA moment:
“I got cooked the first game for sure” 😂 @chicagosky
“I think l’ve had a lot ‘welcome to the WNBA’ moments… I was getting cooked the first game, I’m not gonna lie,” she added.
Defense Translates
While it’s easy to look at a stat sheet and decide whether a player is performing to expectations based on the scoring column, there’s a lot more to it than that. Reese says she knew that even while she was struggling on offense, she could still impact the game defensively.
“Honestly I think the speed is actually faster, of course. But for me, coming into the league I know defense and rebounds are something I always can take to the next level,” Reese told CBS Sports HQ. “I knew that was going to be my thing. I think I’ve done a great job being great on defense and rebounding. I think I have a lot more room for growth offensively, but I think I’ve done a great job so far.”
She has already had to face the best at her position, as well. In only her third career game, Reese had to face 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones, now of the New York Liberty. She frustrated Jones on both ends, helping saddle the former MVP with foul trouble as the Sky pulled off the road win.
Later, she went toe-to-toe with last year’s top draft pick, Aliyah Boston of the Indiana Fever. Boston went 4-14 from the field in 34 minutes and committed 5 fouls in the Indiana win.