Editor’s Word: This story is a part of a collection from SB Nation profiling the 2025 WNBA All-Star groups. At the moment, let’s get to know Angel Reese.
Generally the toughest conditions make individuals stronger, and that’s actually been the case in Angel Reese’s younger profession. Reese was drafted No. 7 general within the 2024 WNBA Draft by the Chicago Sky, however the expectations have been already placed on her earlier than she even performed her first WNBA recreation. She’s been the goal of unfair social media hate, harassment, and scrutiny, making the truth that she has nonetheless been capable of have a record-breaking season and a half within the WNBA all of the extra spectacular.
A lot of the hate in the direction of Reese is unwarranted. It began in the course of the NCAA championship recreation in 2023, when LSU beat Iowa, and Reese did her notorious ring hand gesture in the direction of Caitlin Clark. On the time and even to at the present time, Clark has acknowledged she didn’t assume a lot of the gesture; it was merely a heated second of trash speak between two legendary opponents, and it was warranted, on condition that LSU received the sport. But, that has not stopped individuals from persevering with to unfairly choose, harass, and criticize Reese.
In her first skilled season, Reese averaged 13.6 factors together with 13.1 boards per recreation, the very best rebounding common within the league. She additionally broke the document for highest rebounds per recreation in WNBA historical past as a rookie with that quantity. Her 446 complete rebounds in 2024 have been additionally probably the most boards by any participant in a single season in WNBA historical past.
Reese additionally holds the document for many consecutive video games with 20+ rebounds, which she did thrice in a row in 2024. Her 26 double-doubles have been the second most in a single season in WNBA historical past, and with 15 of these being in consecutive video games, she additionally broke the document for many consecutive double-doubles in WNBA historical past.
It’s truthfully exhausting simply studying all of that, to not point out doing it. On prime of all of it, producing so prolifically proper after a full NCAA faculty season, the March Insanity event, and solely having a number of weeks in between for relaxation, is wild to think about. Then add in all of the aforementioned negativity she’s confronted, and nicely, it’s fairly unbelievable what Reese has been capable of lock in and do.
The wild factor about Reese’s profession trajectory is that she is already this good, and nonetheless has plenty of her recreation that could possibly be improved. However the truth that that is the place she is ranging from — smashing rebounding information and being a double-double machine — is an indication the totally developed model of Reese will probably be a masterpiece.
One thing that would assist Reese’s growth immensely could be if she had a real veteran level guard on her crew. That was the plan when Courtney Vandersloot got here again to Chicago, however she went down with a season-ending ACL harm not lengthy after the season began. We’ve gotten glimpses of what the totally realized Angel may seem like when she has the possibility to play with different playmaking-minded level guards (with one instance being, mockingly given the state of a lot W discourse, when she performed with Caitlin Clark on the 2024 All-Star Sport. She additionally seemed nice taking part in with Chelsea Grey in Unmatched).
Sadly, Chicago’s imaginative and prescient couldn’t be realized to the extent they wished it to be this season, however Reese remains to be doing what she will to impress on the court docket.
In her sophomore season, Reese is placing up 14 factors per recreation and grabbing 12.6 rebounds. Apart from her personal document from final season, that’s nonetheless the very best common rebound quantity in WNBA historical past. She’s additionally improved from 1.9 assists per recreation to dishing 3.8 dimes per recreation in 2025. Her discipline objective share has risen from 39.1% to 44.6%.
General, thus far, we’ve seen a stable development from 12 months one to 2 for Reese within the WNBA. Her participation in Unmatched this winter undoubtedly helped. Her Rose BC have been capable of win the championship (which Reese missed as a consequence of harm), and Reese received Defensive Participant of the Yr and made it onto the Second Crew All-Unmatched.
The place’s Reese’s ceiling? It’s onerous to inform. If she is put in a adequate place to thrive, she could possibly be probably the greatest stars the WNBA has ever seen when it’s all stated and completed. She’s already a two-time WNBA All-Star in two years, and can possible find yourself on Gold Medal Crew USA squads within the years forward. The onerous half would be the Sky’s team-building course of for the following few years. Between the inflow of enlargement drafts, free company chaos, and the truth that the Sky maintain buying and selling away their draft picks, it’ll be onerous to encompass Reese with high-level expertise. That may imply she simply leaves as a free agent when her rookie-scale contract is up.
However no matter what’s been out of her management throughout her early profession, Angel Reese has thrived regardless of it. Her degree of resilience is one that the majority wouldn’t be capable to comprehend, and he or she’s let the strain forge her into one thing stunning. A diamond of the WNBA.
