If there is one thing Angel Reese is known for on the basketball court, it is her ability to snatch rebounds against even the toughest competition. Even as a rookie, Reese averaged 13.1 rebounds per game and ranked second in total rebounds with 446. She was only five rebounds away from tying A’ja Wilson for the best mark in the league.
Reese has not slowed down on the boards. She is currently leading the WNBA in total rebounds with 255. The next best rebounder is Azura Stevens, who has grabbed 172 total rebounds for the Los Angeles Sparks. The margin between the two alone is significant and enough to boost Reese’s status as an All-Star.
However, there is another level to it. Reese would also lead the league in total rebounds if we only counted defensive rebounds. She has grabbed 176 of those—four more than Stevens’s total rebounds. It is her offensive rebounding that sets her apart from other good rebounders in the league. Reese has grabbed a total of 79 offensive rebounds this season—six more than Brionna Jones, who ranks second.
Angel Reese more than earned her All-Star nod
Reese struggled early in the season, as familiar issues from her rookie season persisted and the Sky lost continuously. She received a lot of criticism for her inefficient scoring close to the basket, and some fans even argued that her rebounds were meaningless if she was just rebounding her own misses.
Lately, Reese has done everything in her power to prove her doubters wrong. She has recorded eight consecutive double-doubles. In her last seven games, she has been shooting between 43.8 and 60 percent from the field, scoring with incredible efficiency. She also got close to another triple-double a few times, dishing out at least six assists three times in her last seven games, and did her fair share of work on the defensive end of the floor.
Reese’s recent stretch of games has been incredibly impressive. It has also led to wins. The Sky are 4-3 over their last seven games, beating the Los Angeles Sparks twice and the Dallas Wings and Minnesota Lynx once each. The latter win over Minnesota was definitely the cherry on top. Minnesota is the best team in the league and doesn’t lose many games. Beating the number one seed and the current favorite to win the MVP award, was a big feat for the Sky.
Reese was a major factor in the win. She finished the game with 19 points on 8-14 shooting from the field, 11 rebounds, four assists, and two steals. She also had six turnovers, but that number is easily reached when you face the best defensive team in the league, the reigning Defensive Player of the Year, and one of the front-runners to win the award this season.
Rebounding may be Reese’s most obvious skill, but she is showing that she can impact every part of the game at a high level.