Angel Reese has been one of the top rookies in the WNBA season as she makes her league debut with the Chicago Sky. She’s already had her fair share of controversy but you can’t ignore her on the court play.
While she obviously has aspects of her game she needs to work on, she’s making an immediate impact. Angel Reese had a huge performance on Thursday during the Sky’s 79-71 win against the Washington Mystics, a game that her former college coach Kim Mulkey was in attendance for.
During the game, Reese and Mulkey shared an embrace on the sidelines and the two posed for pictures together.
This was on the heels of Reese’s best game in the WNBA so far. She finished with 16 points, 11 rebounds, three assists and five steals in a team-high 35 minutes.
Angel Reese played for Kim Mulkey for two seasons at LSU from 2022-2024. During that time the Tigers won a national championship in 2023 and made an Elite Eight appearance in 2024. Overall, LSU compiled a record of 65-8 during the two seasons that Reese played for Mulkey.
Reese actually began her college basketball career at Maryland where she played for two seasons before transferring to LSU. While Reese was an impact player in the NCAA with the Terrapins, she had the best seasons of her college career while at LSU under Mulkey. Her first year at LSU she averaged a college career-high 23.0 points.
Angel Reese is making an impact in the WNBA with the Sky
There were questions as to how Angel Reese’s game would translate to the WNBA, but for the most part she seems to have answered those questions. Her energy, aggressiveness and toughness are what have translated immediately. She knows how to get good position under the basket for rebounds.
Reese has cemented her name as a favorite to be named to the WNBA’s All-Rookie Team. She’s been a starter through the Sky’s first eight games at just about 28 minutes per game. She’s been averaging 10.9 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.1 steals with splits of 33.8 percent shooting from the field and 70.2 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
The major part of Reese’s game that she needs to improve on at the WNBA level is her finishing which would lead to higher efficiency shooting percentages. But there’s no question anymore as to if she’s a WNBA player.
Reese has also been the subject of a bit of controversy since coming into the WNBA. Back during a Sky matchup against the Connecticut Sun, Reese got tangled up under the basket against Alyssa Thomas. The play resulted in Thomas using her forearm to shove Reese to the floor. Thomas was given a Flagrant 2 and immediately ejected from the game.
Reese responded well to the incident, acknowledging that she’s not going to get anything easy from the league’s vets as a rookie. The other incident came during the Sky’s recent matchup against the Indiana Fever.
When teammate Chennedy Carter hip-checked fellow rookie Caitlin Clark, Reese was seen jumping up off the bench and applauding Carter.
