Unrivaled is finally just a week away and player prep has begun in full swing. One of the few 2024 WNBA rookies to participate in the upstart league founded by Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart is Angel Reese. And she’s already working on upskilling in the areas she lacked last season, like improving her shooting percentage, especially the three-pointers. But as the Rose Basketball Club member gears up for tipoff on Jan. 17, Rachel DeMita believes Reese could still do better.

In a recent video discussing all the things happening this WNBA offseason, DeMita discussed Rose BC’s recent video update on Reese. The clip shows the Chicago Sky forward working on her shots from the corner, but the host points out, “Corner shots are good for anyone but during the transition, I do not wanna see her popping to the corner. I wanna see her going to the basket and I wanna see them getting the ball to her when she goes to the basket.”

In her rookie season, Reese shot just 39.1% from the field, 18.8% from the 3-point range, and 73.6% from the free-throw line. Overall average stats for someone who was called the Queen of Rebounds but her missing layups and missing out on shots was something that needed to be worked on. Incidentally, it was one of the main reasons the ‘Chi-Town Barbie’ agreed to the 3×3 league in the first place.

DeMita does relent, “I think her shot is looking better for sure. I still think it’s a little bit slow and it still has a little bit of a pause in her shoulder.”

But at the same time, this is only limited information about what all Reese is working on, which can only be judged by what either the player or the league posts. But as DeMita mentioned before, rather than just shots, she believes Reese should also be working near the basket, aka in the paint, where she thrives off the glass.

“I do wish I could see a little bit more of her post moves and what she’s working on in the post. This spot up shooting – a lot of the videos that we’ve seen are not really game speed so yes her shot is looking better. She is hitting more consistently, but I still think there’s a lot of work to go.”

It’s something Reese recognizes, sure, but just two months ago, she also responded to a fan who mocked her skills in the post.

Angel Reese gets defensive about her shooting skills as a rookie

Let’s be honest, no matter how much she practices, Angel Reese might not ever be Caitlin Clark. It’s not meant as a criticism because both players have different positions, different roles, and different jobs on the court. While CC shoots threes like no one’s business and is more of an offensive player, Reese’s defensive abilities and athleticism are no joke either.

And yet, when a fan said on X in Nov., “U realize u can’t make a lay up on the first try most times, right,” the Sky player answered, “Do you realize I got drafted seventh in my class while ‘missing layups’ as a ROOKIE shooting 39% on the year and was STILL an All-Star and that was the worst you’ll ever see me?” Reese wrote. “Or you just laid up with your dog at home hating Adam?”

Now the WNBA season is still a few months away and Angel Reese has the chance to work on her game in Unrivaled. The 3×3 format instead of 5×5 will give her a chance to play with more focus on her individual game rather than team play. It’s going to be exciting when Rose BC kicks off against Vinyl BC on Jan. 17!