Reese dominates the paint, expands her game, and earns praise from legends like Lisa Leslie, solidifying her WNBA impact and future stardom.
Angel Reese has moved beyond projection and promise, establishing herself as one of the WNBA’s most reliable interior forces while steadily expanding the dimensions of her game.
The Chicago Sky forward has answered every lingering question about whether her collegiate dominance would translate at the professional level. Through two seasons, Reese has paired elite rebounding with a growing offensive repertoire, positioning herself not just as a specialist but as a cornerstone player with long-term upside.
Reese’s production tells a clear story. During the 2025 season, she averaged 14.7 points and 12.6 rebounds per game, placing her among the league’s most consistent double-double threats. That output followed a rookie year in which she set a WNBA record by recording 15 consecutive double-doubles, a stretch that immediately placed her in rare company and signaled that her physicality and motor would carry over seamlessly from the college game.
What has separated Reese from many early-career bigs, however, is the versatility she has continued to develop. While rebounding remains her calling card, she has diversified her scoring with improved footwork on the block, a deeper set of counter moves, and an evolving comfort as a facilitator. In 2025, she showed an increased willingness to pass out of traffic and create opportunities for teammates, adding another layer to her impact beyond raw box-score totals.
That growth has not happened in isolation. Reese has drawn inspiration from one of the most influential forwards in women’s basketball history, Lisa Leslie. The three-time WNBA MVP has been seen working with Reese during the inaugural run of Unrivaled, including a widely shared video of Leslie refining Reese’s post moves while the two were in Miami. The clip resonated not only because of Leslie’s stature, but because it underscored Reese’s commitment to sharpening the technical aspects of her game.
The statistical context surrounding Reese’s early career further emphasizes how unusual her trajectory has been. Only three players in the history of women’s basketball have recorded multiple double-double seasons at both the collegiate and WNBA levels: Leslie, 2021 WNBA MVP Jonquel Jones, and Reese, who earned All-Star recognition in each of her first two professional seasons.
Reese also enters her third year with an opportunity to climb the league’s all-time list for double-double seasons and sits on the doorstep of reaching 1,000 career points and 1,000 rebounds at a historically fast pace.
Leslie publicly acknowledged that accomplishment in a social media exchange late last year. The post highlighted Reese’s place alongside two MVPs and framed her upcoming season as another chance to separate herself statistically.
Leslie’s response came with unmistakable enthusiasm and served as a passing of the torch moment from one generation to the next.
“This is outstanding! Records are meant to be broken! Go get ‘em @Reese10Angel I will be cheering you on.”
Reese’s rise carries added resonance given her background. A former star with the LSU Tigers, she arrived in the WNBA with massive expectations and has met them with production rather than spectacle. While comparisons to legends are inevitable, Reese’s development suggests a player focused less on chasing records and more on building a complete, sustainable game.
As she enters Year 3, Reese is no longer proving she belongs. She is shaping the standard for what a modern power forward can be in the WNBA — relentless on the glass, increasingly skilled as a scorer, and committed to evolving under the guidance of those who once defined the position.