WNBA Legend to Angel Reese’s Rescue as Her 55-Second Admission Lands Sky Star in Elite Company

There might be a few misses from Angel Reese here and there, but the Bayou Barbie knows to put in the work. Every game, she is running up and down 94 feet for over 30 minutes, boxing out her opponents, grabbing rebounds, and handling Chicago’s offense. She’s even moved up from being a post player to making plays for the team. “She’s relentless,” says coach Tyler Marsh. And he isn’t the only one recognizing those efforts. The slow start and those bricks have got nothing on Reese, who has her stats and the legends speaking for her.

Criticism has been plentiful for the Chicago Sky forward for her ‘mebounds’ and the inefficiency in finishing plays. It only intensified when Reese started her season with 5 of 14 from the field and followed it up with 0 of 8. But the growth and the ability to shut down the noise have been evident ever since, and Cynthia Cooper is taking note. The Houston Comets legend had nothing but good words for the 23-year-old on CBS Sports’ We Need to Talk podcast.

“I need to give a shoutout to Angel Reese. Angel Reese is just a workaholic. She just gets down to business, right? A lot of stuff has been thrown her way. She keeps her circle tight, and she stays focused on her game,” Cooper said.

To her credit, the six-foot-two center has gone up in points and assists since last year, while her offensive rebounding has dropped off by 1.1. And that was the goal. Tyler Marsh’s first talk with Reese was about her efficiency. After shooting 39.1% from the field last season, the head coach wanted her to focus on finishing those shots, even if it meant her offensive rebounds seeing a dip. And that’s how it has played out. After having a discouraging start, Reese is now making 45.8% of her attempts while taking on an additional role as a point forward. That is what Cooper wants to shine the spotlight on.

In fact, the Houston Comets legend compared AR to herself when she was just starting out. “I love her, you know, just her energy out there on the court and her competitive nature,” Cooper added. “‘Say what you want to say, I’m bringing my A-Game tonight, ‘ right? ‘You’re gonna have to stop me from getting all these rebounds. Stop talking about how I get the rebounds, stop me if you can.’ And I love that attitude of hers and how she’s continuing to get better every single game.”

With 20+ double-doubles this season, the Sky forward has said enough. And all that while the hate and criticism was loud enough for teammate Ariel Atkins to step forward in defense.

“Her crown is heavy,”: Angel Reese’s teammate calls for empathy towards the young star

The spread of lowlights and hate on the internet has caused a rather weird opinion to form about Angel Reese–that she can’t hoop? Mind you, this six-foot-two center took Kim Mulkey and the LSU Tigers to a natty, and broke the WNBA’s single-season rebounding record in just her rookie year. Legends love her, her peers respect her, and it’s almost impossible to ignore her upside. But still, there are legitimate concerns about her overall game.

Firstly, although her finishing around the rim has improved, she’s still lacking some much-needed coordination. There are times when the Bayou Barbie is going up for a layup, and it just looks off.

Secondly, we know that she can rebound, but her ball-handling skills leave a lot to be desired. That is not to say that Angel Reese is not a good facilitator, but she’s a liability when she brings the ball up the court, averaging 3.9 turnovers. But when she’s in the paint, and the people around her are cutting? Reese is in her element and is heavily effective.

The upside definitely outweighs the downside. Angel Reese is a 2x All-Star in the first two years of her career. She can hoop. But thanks to all the narratives, the young forward hasn’t always had the most encouraging questions. Her teammate, Ariel Atkins had had enough of it.

In a post-game conference in June, the explosive guard addressed the media and had a simple plea. “This is a 23-year-old kid,” Atkins said. “And the amount of crap she gets on the day-to-day, she still shows up. So whatever questions y’all got about our team, basketball-wise, we appreciate it. All the other nonsense? It’s irrelevant.”

And it was a fair ask. After how Chicago’s season went, Angel Reese already has enough on her plate, and dealing with additional hate isn’t part of the itinerary. The criticism did slow down, but at the end? Fans don’t change overnight, and Reese is only using it as fuel.