Angel Reese has always been viewed through a critical lens ever since she hit the iconic “You can’t see me” celebration toward Caitlin Clark. Since then, the hate just hasn’t stopped. This season, shooting just 37.4% from the field this season and earning the “mebounds” nickname for rebounding her own misses, the ridicule has only grown louder. The worst part? She’s not just a bad player to some. She’s an antagonist, a side character, who apparently doesn’t deserve a narrative of her own.

It seems like you can’t talk about Angel Reese without Caitlin Clark’s name tagging along, and while that kind of constant pairing might seem like a marketing win, it’s actually more damaging than helpful, especially for Reese. Believe it or not, Clark still has some positive individuality. Reese? Barely. Recently, NBACentral shared a video of Joy Taylor saying, “We would not be talking about Caitlin Clark the way that we do if it wasn’t for that moment with Angel Reese.” But if you just replace the names, the narrative changes. And while it could mean different things for people with different perspectives, it raises a question: whose story is really being told and at whose expense? Would we be talking so negatively about Reese had it not been for Clark? (Not that it’s Clark’s fault)

Thankfully, Reese does not let all the noise get to her. And she did the same this time as well, when she announced her decision to trademark the word ‘mebounds’. Since then, Angel Reese has been on a tear, letting her game do all the talking. In her last 5 games, she’s recorded 3 double-doubles and even a career-first triple-double – proof that she doesn’t let the trolls get to her. Yet, ‘mebounds’ just refuses to leave Angel Reese’s orbit. This time, however, it could be taken either way. You could see it as a jab, or you could see it as if someone was praising Moses Malone. Whatever the case, it’s a win for Reese – the fact that even that confusion is there. So, it took some time, but Reese is starting to own her narrative, clutching it from the keyboard warriors.

It happened during the Chicago Sky’s dramatic 14-point comeback win over the LA Sparks. The Sky hadn’t held a lead all game until the 7:23 mark of the fourth quarter. But rewind a little to 8:51 in the same quarter, and you’ll see the moment that triggered the “mebounds” chatter. It was the same play that fans have been used to by now – Reese missing a layup and then proceeding to grab her own rebound. And naturally, the broadcast team couldn’t help but jump in. This prompted Lisa Byington to say, “Some mebounds coming from Reese, well she said it , she trademarked the word.” Shimmy Miller quickly interrupted Lisa to say, “Mebound, shebound, hebound, prebound, whatever comes of the rim, its hers!” 

And well, Reese continued to back her legacy in case someone dared to use her brand name against her. She delivered one of the finest performances of her young WNBA career tonight, finishing with 18 points, 17 rebounds, and 6 assists on 50% shooting. That’s one way of showing up to the hate. And this wasn’t a one-off. This monster outing comes just days after she pulled down a league-high 19 rebounds with only 2 of them being offensive rebounds against the Atlanta Dream. This is exactly what Coach Tyler Marsh wanted when he asked Reese to become more “versatile.”

But, after the hard-fought win, the Chi Town Barbie once again had to speak out, considering her team has begun to receive just as much hate. “like I said kudos to the guards cuz we be seeing y’all y’all be on their a– on Twitter and like that so I need y’all to just let them hoop like it’s going to be a process obviously a lot of people are playing out of position they’re guarding the best guards that they have probably never guarded,” Reese said in the postgame presser. Well, we hope that happens.

That said, this statement win wouldn’t have been possible without the presence of the other half of Chicago’s Twin Towers. Yes, I am talking about Kamilla Cardoso.

Cardoso shines alongside Angel Reese to deliver the 4th win of the season

Heading into the game, fans knew it would be the last time they’d see Kamilla Cardoso in action until July 6. She is set to join the Brazilian national team for the FIBA AmeriCup starting June 28. And Cardoso made sure to leave the Sky with a parting gift of sorts.

Cardoso saved her best for last before heading off for national duty. The Brazilian star dropped a career-high 27 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists, shooting 10-15 from the field. It doesn’t stop there! She ended up getting her first career 3-pointer as well. What a way to go out!

Cardoso will not be suiting up for the next three games minimum, and Angel Reese and co will definitely miss her presence on the court. Already without veteran guard Courtney Vandersloot due to an ACL injury, the team can hardly afford to lose another key piece. With a rough 4-10 start to the season, do you think the Sky can win their upcoming games without Cardoso? Drop your thoughts in the comments down below!