Angel Reese recently announced that she is declaring for the 2024 WNBA Draft. Reese and LSU women's basketball fell just short against Caitlin Clark and Iowa in an NCAA Tournament rematch of last year's championship game. Reese, of course, led LSU to a championship a season ago, but it was Iowa who won this Elite Eight clash.
The LSU star is now preparing to take the next step in her career. She shared her WNBA Draft plans with Leah Faye Cooper of Vogue in March. The article was ultimately published on Wednesday, however.
So why did Reese choose Vogue for this major announcement? Reese admitted that she “didn’t want anything to be basic” and credited tennis legend Serena Williams as inspiration, as Williams made her retirement announcement via Vogue in 2022.
Choosing Vogue was a big decision for Reese. It allowed her to go out in style. The Vogue article also included a photo-shoot. The decision allowed her to honor Serena Williams as well, who is one of the best tennis players of all-time.
However, what led to Angel Reese's decision to enter the WNBA Draft? After all, she could have stayed in college for one more season while earning NIL money. For Reese, though, she felt that it was the right time.
“I've done everything I wanted to in college,” Reese said, via Vogue. “I've won a national championship, I've gotten [Southeastern Conference] Player of the Year, I've been an All-American. My ultimate goal is to be a pro — and to be one of the greatest basketball players to play, ever. I feel like I'm ready.”
Angel Reese wants to be “one of the greatest”
Reese will already be remembered as one of the greatest LSU athletes ever. In fact, Shaquille O'Neal thinks Reese is the “greatest” LSU athlete of all-time.
“She's probably the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU sports,” Shaq said on The Big Podcast, via Complex Sports. “You heard it here first… Male and female… Because guess what? She delivered. She delivered that package. See, a lot of us got the package and we still got the package in our truck. She delivered that package. So, you know, it's a lot of names you can throw around, men and women, but she's probably the greatest athlete.
“Some people are going to exclude it to women athlete. I'm not doing that. She's the greatest athlete to ever come out of LSU because she got it done. Joe Burrow got it done a couple of years ago, but she's way more athletic than he is. So, you heard it here first.”
Shaq's comments will lead to debate. There is no denying the fact that Angel Reese enjoyed a stellar college basketball career, though.
In addition to leading LSU to the 2022-23 championship victory, she averaged 20.8 points per game in her two seasons with the program. Reese also averaged 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per outing. She found ways to dominate in multiple facets of the game.
Reese now wants to continue her dominance at the professional level. The WNBA is set to receive an ultra-talented 2024 draft class with Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark leading the way.
Angel Reese's WNBA ceiling
Reese is going to be a star at the WNBA level. She is an athletic player, as Shaq mentioned, who can finish at the basket. Reese is also an elite rebounder and reliable defender.
Reese was efficient from the field in college, shooting right around 50 percent. She also improved as a free throw shooter throughout her college career. Reese ended up shooting 72.6 percent from the free throw line in her final season at LSU.
She does not take many 3-point attempts, but it does not matter. Reese's ability to dominate in the paint is going to give her a chance to become a WNBA superstar.
Clark, Kamilla Cardoso, Cameron Brink, and Rickea Jackson are other top prospects to keep an eye on in the draft. It will be intriguing to see which team ends up selecting Reese. She would make sense for a number of teams given her all-around skill set.
Of course, it was not clear what Reese's plans were until Wednesday. The WNBA Draft is scheduled for Monday, April 15. And it projects to be one of the best drafts in recent memory.
Which team do you think will select Angel Reese?
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