NFL
By: Mark T. Wilson
Watching Angel Reese in her rookie season in the WNBA, fans were mesmerized by her rebounding. However, to take that next step and not be a Dennis Rodman clone, she has to work on her offensive game.
This offseason should not be about snagging another endorsement deal or making waves with her new Podcast. Angel Reese has to hit the gym and she has to hit it hard. She has the fame, now she should use that name recognition and reach out to players like Aja Wilson or former players like Leslie Leslie or Rebecca Lobo and learn how to work the post.
Think about how dangerous she could be if she can get her footwork and shot together. What’s ailing Reese is that she’s small (6’3) and yet, she’s still dominating. She has the Mamba Mentality. Her hustle is like no other in the league. But she still has to grow to reach that next level.
Let’s look at one statistic and you can make your own assessment. As a rookie before her injury, she led the WNBA in rebounding. While the knock is that she’s getting rebounds off her misses, well, who else is supposed to get them? Players are told at an early age to follow through with their shots. While Reese was shooting an abysmal .391 percent from the floor, she was grabbing 5.1 offensive rebounds.
She’s getting second chance opportunities for her and her teammates but the shot is still off-balance. She’s rushing everything instead of taking her time. It’s like she’s afraid to have her shot blocked. I’ve never seen a player hustle so much doing things fundamentally and being dragged through the mud for it.
Players can take 12 3-point attempts a game and hit 3-4 and they’re regarded as a lethal shooter. A player like Reese can go 6-16 from the paint and get called a bricklayer. But that same player is back under the glass hustling and looking for a new opportunity for her team.
Wilson is unstoppable in the post. The same way Leslie was. The same can be said of Candace Parker. Lobo, during her time with UConn, was another player who understood how to operate in the post. These are the players someone has to put Angel Reese in touch with this offseason.
She has to come back next season as a new player. The offseason is where the work has to be put in. Yes, having fun in your regular life should be a priority but honing your craft and becoming the best you can be in your profession should be THE top priority for Angel Reese.
All the talk surrounding Caitlin Clark is well deserved. Her season didn’t end the way she wanted it to and best believe, you can find her in the gym working. Reese is injured and her progress is slowed a bit. But once she’s cleared to practice, it’s time to put those calls out to post players who have had success throughout their careers and learn.
Reese averaged 12.2 shots per game in 32.5 minutes. Wilson averaged 19.6 shot attempts per game in 34.4 minutes while hitting .518 percent. Wilson has the footwork and work ethic needed to be considered the best player in the WNBA. And if Reese is serious about getting better and being the leader of the Chicago Sky, Wilson is the person she needs to emulate.
It won’t be an easy feat to achieve as Wilson has always been that go-to player but it is something that Reese can obtain if she has the right mindset. It’s the same as NBA players reaching out to Kobe Bryant during the offseason and wanting to pick his brain as to how he does what he does. They wanted to study his footwork, see how he trained, and how he approached the game.
Resse is getting chances to be a scorer even if most of her shots are coming off offensive rebounds. Averaging 13.6 points per game is no slight to her talent but imagine where she and the Sky would be if she could hit at least another 2-3 of these putbacks if she plays under control.
