Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese has had a promising start to her WNBA career. The former LSU women's basketball star averages a double-double through her first 12 games and has already etched her name in the league record books. As a result, Reese is an early favorite for the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year award. Moreover, head coach Teresa Weatherspoon dropped a blunt one-word response on Reese's candidacy.
“Top,” Weatherspoon said when asked where Reese stands in the Rookie of the Year race before Sunday's Indiana Fever game. “You have to sustain this type of play. You sustain this type of play, not only will I speak about it, but the world will.”
Angel Reese averages an earnest 12.2 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 1.8 steals per game. In addition, she has amassed five straight double-doubles between June 4th and June 14th. She made her mark with two historical achievements early on in the season.
First, Reese became the third player in WNBA history with 13-plus points, 13-plus rebounds, and 5-plus steals in June 8th's Atlanta Dream loss, joining Tamika Catchings and Candace Parker. Then, Reese became the fourth rookie in WNBA history to record a double-double in five-plus consecutive games in the June 14th Mystics loss, joining Tina Charles, Cindy Brown, and Teaira McCowan.
Teresa Weatherspoon revealed one main factor that has contributed to Reese's growth.
“Confidence. She's confident in who she is, and she's willing to put in the work to perform well at this level. She's played against some incredible post players already at the beginning of the season. Incredible learning lessons. She's learned how to defend those people and how to be effective offensively. And then rebounding, that just translated over. That's a will and a want to. And she has that will and want to. But it's about the confidence she has in herself,” Weatherspoon explained.
Angel Reese reacts to Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon's WNBA Rookie of the Year praise
As Weatherspoon mentioned, Reese is confident in her abilities. She appreciates her head coach's praise. However, she understands what matters in the big picture.
“I don’t care about my individual accolades … I just try to focus on the team, and we’ve been losing. So, it doesn’t matter to me anything about me being ROY. I don’t care about that,” Reese said before Sunday's Fever game, per The Athletic's James Boyd.
Chicago entered the Fever matchup on a three-game losing streak, and Reese wants to help the team regain momentum. Her interior presence will continue to be huge for the Sky as they look to stay in the Eastern Conference playoff picture.
Despite being just 22 years old, Angel Reese understands that she plays a big role in providing Chicago energy.
“Even though I'm young, I know I bring a lot of energy to this team. My energy is contagious, and I just try to boost everybody up as much as I can,” Reese said after May 18th's win over the Dallas Wings.
If Reese continues to be a catalyst for the Sky, she will remain a top candidate for the 2024 WNBA's Rookie of the Year Award. Of course, the high honor will not come easy. Reese's fellow rookie rival Caitlin Clark is making her own case for the award. Clark averages 14.9 points, 6.0 assists, and 4.9 rebounds through 12 games.
It will be interesting to see which rookie comes out on top amid an electric season.
Follow Us
Subscribe