NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
The Chicago Sky drafted Angel Reese with the 7th pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. For some, Reese is viewed as a winner in college where she led LSU to a National Championship in 2023. For others, she’s a trash-talking- showboat player with limited skills. Well, all that may be true (depending on your views), but that’s what makes Angle Reese-Angle Reese.
In college, Reese was the leading scorer for her team but she wasn’t viewed as an offensive threat the same way that Caitlin Clark is. Reese is more of a paint banger. She averaged 18.6 points to go along with 13.4 rebounds, and 1.9 Steals per game. Solid numbers and a big reason she went 7th in the Draft.
Now, for those doubters, Reese rose to fame not just for her play but her actions on and off the court. Angel Reese loves to talk trash. For those new to sports, especially basketball, that’s the way the game is played. But it came to national attention when she did it to Clark. Nevermind that Clark has been doing it most of her career, but Reese did it to her in the Championship Game where her LSU Tigers defeated Clark’s Iowa Hawkeyes with the world watching.
I think it’s just the emotion and the passion that we play with,” Clark said in response to a question about why people seem drawn to her rivalry with Reese. “I think people love to see that. And I think that’s maybe not something that was always appreciated in women’s sports, and it should be. I think that’s what makes it fun.
At that moment, she became the villain and Reese didn’t disappoint. With her winning the championship, the spotlight became brighter. There were setbacks on the floor and on a personal level. The Tigers failed to repeat, losing to Clark and the Hawkeyes in the Women’s Final 4 but Reese was shoe-in for the WNBA.
And since her arrival, she has proven she was worth that pick for the Sky. Hell, she’s showing that she should have been taken 2nd behind Clark. But that’s a topic for another time. Clark is the scorer, she has been labeled as the face of a league where stars are already cemented. Despite what anyone says, Angel Reese vs Caitlan Clark is a top draw. Their last WNBA matchup drew in a WNBA record of 23M viewers. This is what the league wanted. This is a rivalry whether we want to admit it or not.
I think we went up really strong a lot of times and we didn’t get a lot of calls,” Reese said of herself and her teammates. “And going back and looking at the film, I’ve seen a lot of calls that weren’t made. I guess some people got a special whistle.
However, there is a problem with Reese. While Clark has been saying the right things, Reese has been doing the opposite. I can’t put my finger on the issue but it does seem to feel as if she’s trying to be accepted into a group and she’s doing what she feels is the right way to go about it. She’s still talking trash directed at Clark and using the media to get her point across.
What’s going through my mind? It’s, ‘I’m gonna make these two free throws.’ That’s all I’m thinking about,” said Clark, who finished with 23 points, eight rebounds and nine assists. “It’s just part of basketball. It is what it is, you know, she’s trying to make a play on the ball and get the block. It happens
The vets are putting a battery in her back instead of pulling her to the side and telling ther rookie to chill. Both are good players but the truth is, neither has done anything in the league, yet. The rivalry is real and it’s one the WNBA and the media will continue to market until they no longer can.
But for Angel Reese, she has to just lace up and play. Growing up in an urban environment, I can understand the bravado she plays with. However, she is one of the reasons people are watching. She is right, the hoopla is not all about Clark. But if she wants to continue to prove that, she has to do it by leading her teams to wins and cut back on the emotional outbursts whenever a camera is present.
Angel Reese Is That Good
On the season, Reese is avaeing 12.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game in 30.2 minutes while attempting 10.8 shots. She’s getting the minutes to prove that she’s next up. But she’s also playing right into the media’s hands as well. Clark is quiet to a degree and says nothing but good things about Reese. Maybe Reese should take a page out of her book and do the same. The villain role is working now, but there will come a time when they will turn against you.
To be fair, Angel Reese is proving her doubters wrong. Many believed she would be an afterthought in the WNBA but here she is putting up veteran-like numbers. She is the real deal. Instead of taking shots at players in the media, maybe she should hit the gym and work on her mid-range game, ball-handling, and footwork. Reese could be the next Lisa Leslie or Aja Wilson if she wants to be. But she has to want it and block all that other noise out.
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