Angel Reese is Unrivaled. Again. Reese already starred for Rose BC last season, but originally opted to sit out during the league’s second season—much to many fans’ dismay. Then, Unrivaled announced a four-team deal in which the Rose traded Azurá Stevens but didn’t get anyone in return. Fans immediately speculated that Reese would rejoin the team. Turns out they were right, and it’s a major win for everyone.
Rose BC gets the difference-maker it desperately needs, fans get to see Reese in action for the first time since an early end to her Sky season, and Unrivaled gets a fan and viewership magnet.
Rose needs help quickly
Led by Chelsea Gray, the Rose entered the season looking like a title favorite. Things went downhill quickly, and the team lost three of its last five games, including a loss to the league-worst Lunar Owls and two beatdowns by the Breeze and Mist.
The team needs someone who can put up big numbers, impact the game on both ends of the court, and bring new energy. Reese can do just that. She averaged 13.3 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 1.9 assists last season. She led the league in rebounds and was a top-twenty scorer. On top of that, Reese was named the first Unrivaled Defensive Player of the Year.
Last season, the Rose were the best rebounding team in the league. This year, they are the worst, averaging only 30 rebounds per game. Even if Reese needs a game or two to get reaccustomed to the three-on-three style, she will immediately improve the team’s rebounding numbers.
Between Reese and Shakira Austin, Rose has one of the most promising big rotations in Unrivaled. With Reese back in the fold, Nola Henry just has to balance the minutes between the two. Austin more than earned her time on the court.
Angel Reese is a magnet for attention
Unrivaled is still establishing itself as a successful, sustainable, and profitable league, and some people have made a big deal out of TV viewership numbers that made the rounds at the start of the season. They were lower than last year, causing certain people to cast dismal forecasts for the league’s future.
However, those numbers don’t even count all the people who watch on HBO Max (or YouTube if they live overseas), and Unrivaled has more than proven that it has a special draw on fans. The league’s trip to Philadelphia set attendance records for women’s basketball and the arena in which the games were played.
Still, adding Reese back into the fold will draw even more attention to the league, and may even cause an uptick in TV viewership numbers.
Fans haven’t seen Reese play in a while
For fans, this is a dream come true. Reese’s second WNBA season ended early. She was suspended for half a game for “comments detrimental to the team” and then never returned to the court due to a back injury. The only glimpses fans got of Reese in the meantime were footage from a USA Basketball training camp in December.
The WNBPA and WNBA still haven’t signed a new CBA. With every day that passes, the possibility of a strike becomes more realistic. So, many fans are also worried about not seeing Reese and the rest of the league play in the W this year. Reese’s return to Unrivaled is a chance to see her play, even if the CBA negotiations go awry.