Reese has been outstanding, even as the Sky have struggled.
Like a lot of young professional players, Angel Reese has endured some frustration at the start of her WNBA career.
Reese's rookie season ended prematurely due to a wrist injury; without her, the Chicago Sky missed the playoffs and went on to fire head coach Teresa Weatherspoon, with whom Reese had forged a close bond.
Results haven't improved in Chicago under new head coach Tyler Marsh.
After an 81-79 loss to the Washington Mystics on Tuesday, the Sky fell to 5-13; only the 2-16 Connecticut Sun have a worse record in The W. Since selecting Reese seventh overall in the 2024 draft, the Sky have an 18-40 record.
It's easy to understand how the frustration could be getting to Reese, who was an NCAA champion at LSU in 2023.
MORE: Say what you want about Angel Reese — she’s the best rebounder in WNBA history already
But quietly, Reese is blossoming into one of the WNBA's premier players, in a first-hand demonstration of new head coach Marsh's acumen for player development.
On July 1, Reese was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week. Not one to rest on her laurels, Reese has continued to shine in recent games.
Reese on Tuesday extended her WNBA record of six games with at least 15 rebounds, adding 22 points and four assists in a rare early tip-off against the Mystics. Though the Sky are 2-4 since June 22, Reese has dominated over this stretch of games, averaging 17.8 points, 17 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 45.8 percent from the field and 88 percent from the free-throw line.
While many like to compare Reese to Caitlin Clark given their college and professional "rivalry," a more apt comparison for Reese may be Jonquel Jones. Reese just became the first second-year player since Jones in 2017 to record multiple 20-point, 15-rebound games in a season. That season, Jones won Most Improved Player honors, and she eventually became the league's MVP in 2021.
Perhaps that's a trajectory Reese can emulate with a greater array of talent around her.
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Category: Basketball
