In a world of yes sir and ma’am, being Angel Reese isn’t easy. From taking it hard on the hardwood to locking horns with her own team for poor selection, Chi-Town Barbie doesn’t play to save a seat. “At 22, it’s hard living this life,” Reese said earlier this season. And Lisa Leslie knows it all too well. After all, the Hall of Famer had been a dominating player and disciplined coach. So, when she saw WNBA making it all harder for the two-time All-Star, she couldn’t help but speak up.

So, when Leslie got the opportunity, she pointed out how Reese, on different occasions, has been left out. “I thought she should have been, I don’t know, maybe Second Team defense. I felt like she kind of got left off of some of those little lists of accomplishments. You can’t go by the team record, and then Paige wins an award also. So it’s kind of one of those things where I thought,” she told Ros Gold-Onwude during the October 17 episode of Good Follow.

If the W has kept Reese out because Chicago didn’t perform, then well, anyone from Dallas better stay out of such a list. Leslie also highlighted the work Reese put into fueling the Sky throughout the season. Averaging 14.7 points with 12.6 rebounds, Reese not only led the league in double-doubles and rebounds but was also the face of the Chicago Sky’s young roster. On paper, she had all the hallmarks of a First or Second Team WNBA selection, yet when the honors were announced, her name was missing.

What’s worse is, Reese and Alyssa Thomas were tied with 23 double-doubles. Reese got them in 30 games, whereas Thomas played 39. A’ja Wilson, with 40 games, managed 21. So what Leslie highlighted might feel like routine praise from a mentor, but beneath the surface lies a deeper concern. Reese’s sophomore year didn’t begin as expected – she got off to a historically rough start. But as she improved midseason, she was unstoppable and eventually earned a second consecutive All-Star appearance.

Meanwhile, she also became the only WNBA player in history to record multiple double-double streaks of at least 10 games, registering 11 consecutive double-doubles from June 22 to July 29. “I mean, to lead the league in rebounding, people don’t understand how hard that is,” added Leslie. Reese did whatever was asked of her, whether it was playing point guard, playmaking, or running transitions to help her team. Yet despite all this, she was nowhere near being on the All-WNBA First or Second Team.

You also can’t ignore how Sky struggled throughout the season. They finished with the league’s worst 10-34 record, just one year after going 13-27. Is that what you’re preparing for an argument? While All-WNBA team selection is based partly on team performance along with individual play, that wasn’t the case this time. Paige Bueckers of the Dallas Wings was voted despite the Wings tying the Sky for the worst record in the league.

When the results came out, the national panel of sportswriters and broadcasters voted for her, making Bueckers the lone rookie selected to an All-WNBA team this season. Her recognition wasn’t surprising as she averaged 19.2 points with 3.9 rebounds. Her rookie campaign was also historic, as she recorded the highest single-game scoring performance with 44 points versus the LA Sparks on August 20. But unlike her, Angel Reese wasn’t voted at all. And that’s exactly the bias Leslie was talking about.

For Leslie, Angel’s more than a basketball player!

When Reese was criticized for her “mebounds,” it was Lisa Leslie who said, “Still, she’s amazing.” Not only did she fuel the two-time All-Star’s confidence, but she also helped her improve. Leslie trained Reese during the offseason and at Unrivaled events. “I told Angel day one, she’s going to be amazing,” she added on the Fast Friends podcast’s September 21, 2024, episode. She even offered to work with Reese in the gym to refine her skills, particularly aspects of her finishing around the basket.

Leslie always felt Reese’s layup shooting was “fixable,” and it truly was, as shown at Unrivaled. Consider that Reese was the first to give a 20-20 game in Unrivaled history, with 22 points and 21 rebounds, helping Rose BC hand the Lunar Owls their first loss. Not just that, she was also one of four players averaging a double-double in Unrivaled. By the end of the season, she was crowned champion with Rose BC.

So yes, the mentorship and coaching worked. But it doesn’t end there. Leslie is not just pointing out errors in the league; she is standing with Reese, helping her grow. Even in this Episode of Good Follow, she said, “I did talk to Angel about having some more time with her in the gym, working on more offense. I think just being stronger offensively and being able to finish and score more would really help her game.”

Despite criticism surrounding the Chicago Sky star at the peak – after her controversial comments about her teammates, front office, and coach – Leslie had nothing bad to say about her. All she mentioned was Reese’s excellent basketball IQ and the lack of veteran leadership in the Sky locker room at the moment. This is the kind of bond Reese has with Leslie that urged the Hall of Famer to take a stand. But what do you think – was the WNBA showing a strong bias against Angel Reese?