Angel Reese had an outstanding performance against the Connecticut Sun on Sunday, putting up her first career WNBA triple-double. Her 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists, led the Chicago Sky to a 78-66 win over the Sun. This gave Chicago their third win of the season so far, but potentially more importantly showed them the vision they hoped for from Reese.
Since first year Head Coach Tyler Marsh took over the reins of this Chicago Sky team, one of the most important questions he had to answer was how to make Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso pair together on the court to the best of their abilities — and some kind of plan might just be working out.
The path forward towards "Point Forward" Angel Reese
Frankly, it has not been the smoothest of starts when it comes to answering that question for Marsh and his staff. The 3-7 record speaks for itself. Reese's averages have gone down since last year in points from 13.6 points per game to 10.4 and rebounds from 13.1 rebounds per game to 11.9. Cardoso's averages are stable from last season; she's averaging an extra point but one less rebound.
Reese's performance and earning the triple-double showed that this current moment might be growing pains rather than a sign that the duo cannot work together. For Reese, her assist total has gone up from 1.9 assists per game to 3.5. As the Sky aim to put Reese on the ball more with the responsibility to make plays for her teammates, this is a legitimate sign of growth.
This is also not completely new to either Reese or the WNBA. For Reese, this role of point forward, where she handles guard duties such as bringing the ball up occasionally, is actually similar to the role she played at Maryland, where she had relayed responsibilities. This also meant looking for her own shot by going off the dribble and attempting to space the floor some with her midrange.
Angel Reese is showing shades of Alyssa Thomas
In terms of WNBA comparison, it is fitting that Angel Reese was able to get the triple-double, because the player comp is someone who is very familiar with that mark, the Phoenix Mercury's Alyssa Thomas. Over the course of her career, Thomas has put up 11 triple-doubles and had plenty of games where she was on triple-double watch.
The WNBA has witnessed Thomas, even with her shortcomings when it comes to having a lack of shooting range, completely transform teams and lead them to deep playoff runs, including a run to the WNBA Finals in 2022.
There is a lot the Sky can learn from Alyssa Thomas' career in terms of how they want Angel Reese to develop and how to build around both Reese and Cardoso in the long term. After finding success in Connecticut for years, Thomas is now surrounded by perimeter threats for the first time in her career in Phoenix. Her gravity is still massive as she drives to the paint and forces all eyes to the ball, and her remarkable playmaking skills allow her to kick it out to a teammate for an open three.
That should be the strategy for building around Angel Reese. If Reese can make the level of playmaking displayed on Sunday the norm, the Sky can make Reese the point forward they have dreamed of.