Subscribe
Follow Us
For all the hullabaloo surrounding Angel Reese's game, one thing is for sure: she, at such a young age, is already cementing herself as one of, if not outright the greatest rebounder in WNBA history. Despite the Chicago Sky's 100-81 loss to the Indiana Fever on Friday night, Reese had herself another double-double, as she put up 10 points and 11 rebounds in a valiant effort.
In so doing, Reese has managed to tally her 23rd double-double of the season, setting the record for most double-doubles in a single season in WNBA history. She's also managed to accomplish the feat in just 31 games, so detractors cannot argue that the increase in WNBA games in a regular season boosted the Sky rookie's stats. (Prior to the COVID-19-shortened 2020 season, WNBA teams played 34 games during the regular season. They now play 40 per year.)
There is no question that Angel Reese's motor on the glass is generational, and is the main reason why she is slowly becoming one of the WNBA's most transcendent talents. She is now averaging 12.9 rebounds per game on the season — a truly elite number in the context of the WNBA. If she manages to keep up that average, she will not only hold the record for the highest rebounds per game average in a single WNBA season, but she will also do so by over a rebound per contest (Sylvia Fowles, in 2018, averaged 11.88 rebounds per game.)
Sure, there are a lot of things that the Sky rookie has to improve in her game. But there are some who look at Reese as if she's not making history with her rebounding numbers. And she is only 22 years of age, so she has time on her side as she looks to improve the admittedly glaring weaknesses in her game at the moment.
Sky rookie Angel Reese continues to be the league's most polarizing player
Depending on which side of the coin one looks at, Angel Reese is either the second-coming of Lauren Jackson or someone who'd wash out of the league after just a few seasons. The discussion surrounding the Sky rookie can turn asinine and downright toxic at times, so a fair assessment of Reese shall be made.
Her rebounding numbers are historic, as discussed above. But the rate with which she hauls in the boards, despite having the most impressive rebounding season in WNBA history, isn't exactly on top of the list. Her offensive rebounding percentage of 17.02 ranks ninth on the all-time single-season leaderboards. Her total rebounding percentage ranks eighth.
Rebounding percentage pertains to just how much of one's chances on the boards they manage to take advantage of. Reese's historic totals paired with a percentage that doesn't rank first all-time means that she's getting plenty of opportunities on the boards that her peers did not have.
This now opens up the discussion surrounding the biggest weakness in Angel Reese's game — her offense. She looks very raw on that end of the floor, and her scoring touch leaves a lot to be desired. Despite being a 6'3″ forward, the Sky forward is extremely inefficient — her shooting splits of 38/18/73 are ghastly to say the least. Her true shooting percentage of 45.8 is simply abysmal.
Perhaps some more experience would help slow down the game for Reese, and in turn, help her make better decisions on the court on the offensive end of the floor. Again, she is only 22 years old, and her rebounding prowess should give her a slot in any team's starting lineup for years to come. But for her to unlock her full potential, her offensive game has to come around.
