ATLANTA — Angel Reese first picked up a basketball when she was 4 years old.
It was her mother, also Angel, who put the ball in her hands.
As Reese grew in the game, so did her dreams, but Tuesday surpassed all of them when she was named an All-Star, becoming the first Sky rookie since Elena Delle Donne in 2013 to earn the nod.
“Being an All-Star was never on my list,” said Reese, smiling through tears. “Of course, being a champion was, but I really don’t write down individual accolades.”
Reese might not write them down, but her name is being etched into the WNBA’s history books.
On Sunday, Reese recorded her 10th consecutive double-double, passing Candace Parker for the most consecutive double-doubles in a season in WNBA history. She was named Rookie of the Month after averaging 14.5 points and 13.2 rebounds through 11 games in June.
On Tuesday, she notched her 11th consecutive double-double, finishing with 12 points and 19 rebounds in the Sky’s 85-77 victory against the Dream. Chennedy Carter had a game-high 26 points, and Dana Evans added 14 points off the bench.
The Sky forced 18 turnovers, which they converted into 22 points and outscored the Dream 44-36 in the paint. Reese’s 19 rebounds, including 14 on the defensive glass, were the most recorded in a game by any player this season. She’s averaging a league-leading 11.4 rebounds.
“She goes out there and does exactly what her role is,” coach Teresa Weatherspoon said. “That’s to rebound the hell out of the basketball. Go and clean that glass.”
Reese finished in the top 10 in voting for the WNBA All-Star team, which will play Team USA on July 20 in Phoenix. That list includes Fever guard Caitlin Clark and forward Aliyah Boston, Mercury wing and former Sky All-Star and Finals MVP Kahleah Copper and two-time MVPs A’ja Wilson and Breanna Stewart.
In May, when Reese fell to No. 7 in the draft, there wasn’t much shock. She continued to hear that her game wouldn’t translate to the WNBA. The rookie All-Star is now just one double-double away from tying Parker’s all-time WNBA mark, which the three-time champion set between the end of the 2009 season and the beginning of 2010.
As individual accolades have continued to pile up over the last month, Reese repeatedly has said, “I’m so thankful I fell to No. 7.”
Weatherspoon is one of the main reasons.
“She’s meant everything to me,” Reese said. “I’ve had amazing coaches in my career but this one is special. She understands me off the court. She understands me on the court. She believes in me.”
Thinking back on the week leading up to the draft, Reese recalled being on a video conference with Weatherspoon and other members of the Sky staff. At the conclusion of the call, she closed her computer and prayed out loud that she would be drafted by the Sky.
“I don’t care where I drop to, just please let me go to Chicago,” was Reese’s prayer.
The franchise wanted her just as badly. General manager Jeff Pagliocca went so far as trading up one pick on the eve of the draft just to select her.
Reese’s star power was on display in Atlanta. She’s proving to be the draft’s biggest steal and the cornerstone of what the Sky are building with the potential to be a face of the league.