Angel Reese amassed 13 points, five rebounds and a pair of steals in just 19 minutes to help lead the Chicago Sky to an emphatic 101-53 preseason victory over the visiting New York Liberty on Tuesday.
The former LSU star entered the WNBA as the No. 7 overall pick in April after accumulating a phenomenal collegiate resume, including a national championship, 2023 unanimous first-team All-American honors and the 2023 NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player of the Year award, among other accolades.
Reese has only played two pro preseason games, but early returns indicate she’ll meet the hype and then some on the next level. In a 92-81 loss to the Minnesota Lynx, Reese had 13 points, nine rebounds and two steals in 24 minutes. She shot just 2-of-8 but got to the free throw line and made the most of it (9-of-10).
On Tuesday, Reese excelled against last year’s championship runner-up, which had all its starters suit up (Brenna Stewart, Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones, Courtney Vandersloot and Betnijah Laney-Hamilton). Reese got it done in the paint against Liberty forward Brianna Fraser early on, backing her up before delivering a 10-foot hook shot plus the foul for a three-point play. She finished 6-of-10 shooting on the evening.
OKAY ROOK!@Reese10Angel | #skytown pic.twitter.com/TpjKP255Ba
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 8, 2024
In the second half, Reese slipped down low and went back to work in the post, this time against Stewart. One fake, one tough dribble and a layup later led to a 51-28 lead.
The rook is not lettin’ up
Angel Reese with the first bucket of the 2H, is now up to 9 PTS & 4 REB for the @chicagosky
NYL-CHI on the WNBA App pic.twitter.com/bgchDxibd6
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 8, 2024
Reese got it done on the other end too, stripping fellow rookie Marquesha Davis of the ball. That eventually led to a Marina Mabrey transition three.
The steal by @Reese10Angel
The 3️⃣ by @mmabrey1 #skytown pic.twitter.com/6vtQh79nQ1— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) May 8, 2024
Naturally, fans and analysts were very impressed with Reese:
I was not expect the Chicago Sky to steam roll the NY Liberty like this Angel Reese about to be a legend in Chitown #WNBATwitter
— Wembanyama Lost Brother (@DaSportsShow) May 8, 2024
Delete all y’all drafts about Angel Reese that said “she’s gonna get cooked tonight and should’ve been in practice longer instead of the Met”. My sis made y’all haters look silly tonight.
— Latesia (@Latesia27) May 8, 2024
It looks like Angel Reese has ✨ adjusted ✨
— Women’s Hoops Network (@WomensHoops_USA) May 8, 2024
Understandably, Reese entered the WNBA with plenty of attention and expectations alongside fellow rookie and teammate Kamilla Cardoso, who just won NCAA Tournament Most Outstanding Player honors en route to leading South Carolina to an undefeated season and a national championship.
Unfortunately, Cardoso is out four-to-six weeks with a shoulder injury suffered against the Lynx. That naturally puts the onus on Reese and others, such as Mabrey, Diamond DeShields, Dana Evans and Michaela Onyenwere, to pick up the slack and overcome a huge absence.
They certainly appeared up to the task and then some Tuesday, with Mabrey (20 points) and Evans (19) leading the scoring and Reese doing work all over the court.
That’s all for Sky preseason action, as the team’s next game will be for real at the Dallas Wings on Wednesday, May 15 to open the regular season.
