While it took some time even for standout rookie Caitlin Clark to get adjusted, “Bayou Barbie” was a force right from the beginning. Until her fifth game, Reese was more focused on contributing points to the team’s total. But, in a showdown versus the Storm, she initiated her well-known “double-doubles streak.” While grabbing 13 rebounds, she ensured her scoring was on point by hitting 11. Fast forward, 34 games in, she has become a rebounding phenom. However, throughout this time, she overlooked one of her weaknesses.

On September 12th, Sue Bird joined forces with her fiance, Megan Rapinoe, for the latest episode of their show ‘A Touch More’. Since Angel Reese had been a hot topic for a while, she too entered the conversation. Analyzing Reese’s stats, the Seattle Storm star found that the Chicago Sky rookie lacks an appropriate shooting percentage.

According to Sue Bird, Reese’s current 39.1% field goal percentage could use some improvement. “She kind of knows what shots she’s going to get… All she really needs to do is bump up her shooting percentage by like 3, 4, 5 points,” shared Bird.

When Reese recorded her 3rd consecutive 20-rebound game, the Chi-Town Barbie made only 4 of 16 from the field. Then as she surpassed the rebound record in the game against the Minnesota Lynx, Reese had 6-for-16. The numbers have brought about immense criticism against the Sky rookie but Sue Bird believes she can change that and notes it is “totally doable.”

“We’re looking at a kid who’s currently averaging like 13 and 13, but it could be 18 and 13… she’s not far off because those shots are coming.”

And she’s right. Reese’s potential goes far beyond words. Even before making it to the league, she had an impressive average of 15.3 points and 15.8 rebounds per contest. However, her shooting percentage has often been a weakness for the rookie, and the journey is going to be tougher.

It’s Angel Reese’ left wrist that makes it difficult

For Reese, the WNBA season’s conclusion wasn’t exactly how she envisioned it. Though she was having one of her best performances with 12 rebounds and 24 points against the Sparks, she faced a major setback. It came in the form of a hairline fracture on her left wrist. “The risk of not having surgery was that I could literally have arthritis at 22 years old,” she revealed as she opted for the long-term solution.

To prevent her hairline fracture from worsening, she underwent surgery. This decision cost her the remaining few weeks of her rookie season. Now, the rookie is in a hard cast for the next four weeks, followed by a soft cast for two more weeks, and then a possible rehab.

It’s not just a few weeks that her injury has taken from her—it’s the historic triumph of “Chi-town Barbie.” Before the setback, she was averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game, having recorded a 15-game consecutive double-double streak this season.

And if that wasn’t enough, she broke the WNBA rookie record with 27 double-doubles. Her rebounding average is the highest in the league, not just as a rookie but as a WNBA player. But all of this comes to a temporary halt. Hopefully, as Sue Bird predicts, the rookie gets the hold of her one weakness as she makes a return, possibly at the Unrivalled.