The WNBA isn’t ready for Angel Reese’s sophomore season.
The Chicago Sky forward enjoyed a record-breaking rookie season in 2024 after being selected with the No. 7 overall pick in the WNBA Draft.
The 22-year-old set the WNBA record for the most consecutive double-doubles in a season with 15, set the WNBA record for the most double-doubles by a rookie with 26, and set the WNBA record for the most single-season rebounds with 446 (later broken by A’ja Wilson).
However, Reese’s season ended prematurely when she went down with a wrist injury with only a few games left in the campaign.
Reese was beaten to the Rookie of the Year award by longtime rival Caitlin Clark, but now the 6ft 3in forward is back with a vengeance and tirelessly working on her game.
The 22-year-old recently shared footage of her working out and preparing for the 2025 campaign.
Reese has always been a physical beast and a strong, low-post operator, so fans were surprised to see her honing the more finesse part of her game.
They remarked on her ‘bulky yet agile’ frame, as well as her commitment to improve her outside shooting which has always been a weakness.
Some joked she looked like Steph Curry as she jacked up 3s and honed her offensive s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁set.
“Looks crazy,” posted one fan.
As an Angel fan there was a clear difference in how she moved that LSU championship year and how she moved her rookie year with the Sky. This looks closer to that junior year and I love that,” a second wrote.
“This is the Angel Reese footage that I want to see! I hope she is working out every day. If she comes back comfortable on offense with better touch around the rim and a consistent midrange jump shot the haters will be silenced,” another posted.
Reese was subject to criticism throughout her debut campaign as a professional, particularly when it came to shooting.
She shot 39% from the field last year, as well as 18.8 percent from 3-point range and just 73.6 percent at the free-throw line. She also missed a number of relatively easy layups that led to widespread criticism online.
However, Reese clapped back at a troll who recently tried to mock her over her poor shooting percentages.
After playing in a professional 3-vs-3 league in January, Reese will spearhead an exciting Sky team heading into the 2025 season with a new coach and championship aspirations.
The highly-regarded former Las Vegas Aces assistant coach recently spoke about Reese and what stood out to him about her last season.
“I think she handled her rookie year great,” Marsh said. “I mean, you set a record in rebounding and, to me, it’s still amazing that people kind of undervalue and undersell just what that was for a rookie.”
“We can’t take for granted just what Angel was able to do in her rookie year. And… she’s a winner. She’s doubted almost every year of her life and her career, and she continued to overcome, and that’s something you can build on.”
The 2025 WNBA regular season tips off on Friday, May 16, with Reese’s Sky taking on Clark’s Fever a day later in Indianapolis.
