From gunning for a natty in Baton Rouge to putting in work in Chicago, Angel Reese and Hailey Van Lith have come a long way! Having played together in college gives this newly-formed duo a pretty big advantage on the court. They’re not starting fresh; Reese and HVL have played and practiced together for an entire year. So, where other players take time to build chemistry and an understanding of their dynamics, the Sky duo has it all figured out.

That doesn’t mean that their coordination is perfect, however, as Angel Reese is the ultimate competitor, and she loves to win. The six-foot-three forward is on her way to becoming a facilitator and is eager to pass, but she demands perfection from her teammates. So, it’s not an uncommon sight to see AR yelling at her teammates, and especially HVL.

But there’s no harm or foul between the two. On Bleacher Report’s Film Study, Hailey Van Lith and Renee Montgomery discussed the impeccable connection between the two. While looking at a play of Reese driving in, drawing help, and kicking the ball out to HVL, Montgomery asked whether that’s something the pair practices. “I know Angel’s game pretty well now. So I know whenever I give it to her, she’s a very willing passer.” Van Lith replied. “And especially with me, she’s always yelling at me to knock threes down.”

So basically, Angel Reese’s yelling shows how much faith she has in the rookie guard. Similarly, Hailey also trusts her teammate to make the best play possible. “Whenever she has the ball and I’m in the vicinity, I’m a hundred percent moving my feet to try and get a window to be open because I know that she’s going to be looking for me.” This kind of trust can’t be bought, and eventually, this should lead the duo to some significant success!

While Chicago’s season hasn’t been ideal, there have been some bright spots. For one, Angel Reese is taking on more of a leadership role this season. We know that the six-foot-three forward is capable of leading–she did it at LSU after all–and to see her game develop in live action has been amazing. HVL recently had some comments to make about her star teammate’s skills on the basketball court, and how she’s defying expectations every single day. Let’s find out what she had to say!

Hailey Van Lith reveals Angel Reese’s most overlooked quality.

On June 15th, Angel Reese announced to the basketball world that she has more tricks in her bag by putting up her very first career triple-double! The Chicago Sky star has often been viewed as a rebounding machine, but the Bayou Barbie is looking to redefine herself and expand her horizons even further. Through the entire month of July, Reese has looked like a triple-double threat almost every single night, but she might not be getting the appreciation she deserves!

According to teammate Hailey Van Lith, Reese’s playmaking production is her most “slept on skillset”. The young Chicago guard, while talking to Renee Montgomery on Bleacher Report’s Film Study, had nothing but praise for her teammate. “I think her ability to play out of the high-post or out of the dunker spot and facilitate as well as score has been huge for our offense. We’ve run a lot of stuff through her because of that,” She said.

Even with Nikola Jokic’s recent championship and rise to stardom, HVL talked about how what Reese does is still completely different. “I think typically you don’t think of bigs as playmakers or people that make reads, and I think Angel Reese is good at making reads.” She discussed how the six-foot-three forward possesses a good, intuitive understanding of when to pass, shoot, or cut.

It will be interesting to see how the Bayou Barbie develops her game in the future in the league. We’ve seen her link with legends like Lisa Leslie to work on her offensive play, and it has certainly worked wonders! There’s no doubt that the Chicago Sky star has an immense amount of potential, and we can’t wait for her to reach the peak she’s destined for!