Angel Reese is putting up numbers in her rookie WNBA campaign, but it’s not just her double-doubles that fans are keeping track of. A growing group of gamblers has zeroed in on one oddly specific stat: Reese missing her first shot of the game. And for the last five matchups, she’s done exactly that, per LarryBrownSports.

This trend has fueled a wave of viral videos from the Stadium Live app, where groups of users — decked out in sunglasses, VR headsets, and even armed with vuvuzelas — cheer like madmen every time Reese bricks her first attempt. One video featured a bettor pounding a drum like he was leading a parade. Another showed a guy popping off like he hit a buzzer-beater himself. The app doesn’t use real money, but it does offer point-based prizes, and these players are racking up rewards at a perfect rate.

After Reese sank her opening shot against the Indiana Fever on opening night, she’s gone on to miss her first attempt in every game since. Her next chance to break the cold start streak? Fittingly, another battle against the Fever this Saturday. While platforms like FanDuel haven’t offered this kind of micro prop, it’s safe to say that if they did, it’d be trending — and probably pulled already.

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Stats don't tell the whole story

It’s worth noting that Reese’s early miss habit isn’t exactly tanking her game. She’s averaging a double-double with 10 points and 12.3 boards per outing, and just recently became the fastest WNBA player to reach 500 points and 500 rebounds, doing it in only 38 games. Ironically, many of those rebounds come from cleaning up her own misses.

Saturday’s game against the Fever also carries extra weight. The last time these two teams met, things got chippy between Reese and Caitlin Clark. After Clark knocked Reese down during a rebound late in the third quarter, tensions flared and teammates had to intervene. Reese had to be pulled aside by a Sky official, and the WNBA later investigated alleged racist fan behavior in the aftermath. The league found no wrongdoing, but the spotlight remains.

So while Angel Reese keeps stacking up accolades, a quirky betting trend has turned her into a viral sensation. It’s a reminder that in sports, sometimes the smallest moments create the biggest reactions.