Angel Reese’s game is not without flaws, but reducing her entire basketball ability to one glaring weakness might explain why some people struggle to appreciate what she brings to the court. According to WNBA broadcaster Robin Lundberg, that could be exactly why some NBC executives have such a negative perception of the Atlanta Dream star.
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Former NBC contributor Trista Crick said she had a 45-minute conversation with NBC executives last fall, during which she had to push back against their negative views on Reese’s on-court basketball ability. Some reportedly went as far as saying that “Angel Reese sucks,” questioning her overall value compared to other stars. Reacting to the reported criticism, Lundberg offered a detailed analysis of why an executive might have arrived at such an opinion of Reese.
“Why would an NBC executive think Angel Reese sucks?” Lundberg said on The Robin Lundberg Show. “Angel Reese does not suck. Let’s be clear about that… But why would somebody think that? Well, I think a reason… someone who isn’t watching WNBA games, who isn’t necessarily in tune with some of the intangible impacts that Angel Reese might have, is that they could see a clip of Angel Reese missing 100 layups and think she sucks.”
Because NBC is a major broadcasting corporation, some fans have suggested the criticism is a deliberate attempt to undermine Reese. Lundberg does not subscribe to that idea. For him, a more plausible explanation is that the executive might not be conversant with the WNBA or might not watch games consistently. Even if they do, they might not fully appreciate the seemingly intangible contributions that Reese brings to the court.
Reese has built a reputation as an elite interior defender and one of the most dominant rebounders in WNBA history. She holds the league’s highest career rebounding average at 12.6 per game and owns both the single-game record, with 26 boards, and the single-season rebounding record.
Unfortunately, she has also developed a reputation for missing easy layups. Those misses frequently get clipped and make the rounds on social media, and they sometimes become the defining images of her performances. In Lundberg’s view, an executive might see those amplified misses and limit their assessment of Reese’s game to them.
Lundberg explained why this particular weakness makes Reese especially vulnerable to such criticism.
“Angel’s biggest flaw leads to her getting clipped up all the time. And she gets clipped up all the time because that flaw is one of the harder things to fully understand… Because that flaw is so significant, and it’s such an easy fix as far as cause and effect goes. If she were to finish around the rim with consistency, where she ranks goes higher,” Lundberg added.
According to Lundberg, a perfect example of what Reese can look like when she consistently finishes around the rim came in Games 2 and 3 of the WNBA Finals. Especially in Game 2, Reese erupted for 30 points and 16 rebounds in Atlanta’s 79-65 victory. She shot an efficient 10-for-16 (62.5%) from the field, including 9-for-15 on two-point attempts.
Around the time Crick says she had the conversation with NBC executives, Reese was in her second year during the 2025 WNBA season with the Chicago Sky, during which she shot 47.8% on two-point attempts. The vast majority of those attempts came close to the basket, where the finishing standards for forwards and centers are considerably higher. Reese restricted-area mark was one of the worst among forwards and centers who played at least half of their team’s games in 2025.
Those misses inevitably make their way onto social media, and there is a possibility that the NBC executive, or anyone with a similar opinion of Reese, might have formed their judgment based on such clips. As Lundberg pointed out, missing easy opportunities around the basket is particularly noticeable for a player whose offensive game is so much around interior scoring.
“Bigs don’t miss layups like that? Players whose shot diets are right around the rim don’t miss half their layups. And Angel Reese does, and has historically. That leads to her being clipped up. So, somebody who’s not in tune with the other aspects of Angel’s game is going to see her missing wide-open layups and go, ‘She sucks,’” Lundberg added.
Perhaps this is one aspect of her game that Reese will look to improve on heading into the next season. NBA legend Carmelo Anthony has already offered to work with the Atlanta Dream forward during the offseason. If she can translate that work into more consistent finishing around the rim, Reese could become an even more dangerous player. And as Lundberg suggested, improving that one glaring weakness could go a long way toward changing how people perceive her overall ability.