Questions about Angel Reese’s game ran rampant ahead of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
“Will her game translate?”
“Can she improve her efficiency?”
“Is she pro-ready?”
These are just a few examples of what the pundits, and even some of the league’s general managers, speculated about. The Sky, however, saw something from the start: intangibles that general manager Jeff Pagliocca was certain would contribute to a successful professional career. It’s one of the reasons the Sky traded up one spot, making sure they could get Reese.
On Thursday, as the Sky (5-9) snapped their four-game losing streak with an 83-72 victory over the Wings, Reese made history with her seventh consecutive double-double. It’s the longest double-double streak by a rookie in WNBA history and the third-longest streak by any player.
With it comes a message: Not only is Reese’s game translating just fine, but she’s proving to be the biggest steal of the draft, with a very strong case for Rookie of the Year developing.
“Being able to have a coach that came in and told me, ‘Don’t worry about what number you dropped to [in the draft],’ ” Reese said. “She told me to believe in myself and surprise myself before I surprise others.”
Reese finished with 16 points, 18 rebounds — 10 on the defensive glass — three assists and two steals, and no one on her team was surprised. Least of all, Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Weatherspoon said. “The moment you sit down and get to know this young lady as a person, what her desires are and why she’s so hungry to do what she does between those four lines, it makes a difference.”
Reese’s teammates and Weatherspoon attribute her early success to her confidence.
In her first month, Reese hasn’t carried herself like a rookie fumbling around to find her place in a league of at most 144 players. From the start, she has exuded a level of assuredness that most associate with experienced veterans.
Reese’s confidence isn’t by accident and certainly isn’t forced. It’s the result of all the steps taken and work put in to “surprise herself before she surprises others.”
“She was really passionate [coming into this season],” guard Marina Mabrey said. “She does all the little things first, so that when the scoring, rebounding and assisting come, it’s natural. She’s in the right position. She keeps going, doesn’t stop fighting.”
Mabrey and guard Chennedy Carter each finished with a team-high 19 points. Dana Evans added 12 rebounds, four assists and two steals off the bench. Rookie Kamilla Cardoso added nine points. She and Reese were responsible for 29 of the Sky’s 39 rebounds.
The Sky’s rookie tandem has been dubbed by many fans as the “Skyscrapers.” Their developing chemistry was on display against the Wings.
“It’s so easy to go to 6-7,” Reese said. “I know she’s always going to go up and catch it. I try and move around her. I’ve never played with a post player that moves with her feet so well, has great hands, runs up and down the court so well and blocks shots.”
Reese is second in the WNBA in rebounds with 10.8 per game, behind two-time MVP A’ja Wilson’s 11.3. She’s second among rookies in scoring with 12.3 points, trailing only Caitlin Clark’s 16.3. Reese leads her class in rebounds (10.8) and steals (1.9).