Imago
Credits : Imagn
Imago
Credits : Imagn
Having started her season with just 9.2 points, 13 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game in the first five games, Angel Reese was criticized left, right, and center for her poor game. Remember the Fever game, when she scored just four points throughout the game? Veteran analyst Skip Bayless even called her performance “ridiculously awkward.” “Angel looked pretty sorry, as she often does,” Bayless remarked.
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While many still compare Reese to the Fever’s guard Caitlin Clark, the 73-year-old commentator called out the comparison. “If you can score only four against the Fever without Caitlin, and look laughably bad doing so, you can’t say you’re playing as big a part in the WNBA’s exploding ratings as Caitlin, as you just can’t say that,” Bayless added. A month later, however, things are not the same.
The same Sky forward who averaged below 10 points per game in the first few games has now become the backbone of her team, averaging close to 20 points per game in the last five games, 19.4/16.6/5 to be precise. And her latest game? The 23-year-old was phenomenal, to say the least. On Monday, while playing against the league leaders, the Minnesota Lynx, Reese posted 22 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, and a block. But what stood out the most was her assist in the 3rd quarter.
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Reese showcased her expanding game by threading a pinpoint pass to Rebecca Allen in transition, who finished with a bucket. What caught everyone’s attention wasn’t just the assist itself, it was the way she orchestrated the high-low action, showing off her vision and versatility like never before. The play, perfectly set up by Haley Van Lith, was described by the broadcasters as “an excellent dime to the Aussie.” Impressive, right?
Naturally, it didn’t take long for people to draw comparisons to Caitlin Clark’s recent full-court assist to Sophie Cunningham that helped her set records. According to Polymarket Hoops, Clark hence became the fastest guard in WNBA history to reach 100 assists in a season. A high feat for CC, no doubt, but for Reese, it means even more. After all, she has always been at the center of criticism more often than anyone else in the league. As Reese made the play, even the broadcast team couldn’t help but point out her evolution. “When Angel Reese is showing her range or versatility, her diversification as a basketball player and as a playmaker, this is just an excellent dime,” one announcer said, clearly impressed.
At that moment, the Chi-Town Barbie wasn’t just grabbing boards or finishing in the paint; she was controlling the tempo and setting her teammates up, much like how Clark has built her rookie reputation. But to be fair, Reese had already warned us about this version of herself. “I was a passer and I could’ve been a passer all my career..like I came out of high school as the No. 1 wing, and I’m trying to get back to that. Trying to get back to being super-versatile,” she shared earlier in a postgame conference after the Chicago Sky’s 78–66 win over the Connecticut Sun.
And that’s turning out to be true. This wasn’t the first time the league got a glimpse of Playmaking Reese. Remember her triple-double feat? It came in that very Sun game. After Caitlin Clark became the first player this season to notch a triple-double, and Reese followed with her own, dropping 11 points, 13 rebounds, and 11 assists in a win. That wasn’t all, as she added three steals and two blocks as well. Her 10th assist came on a jumper by Ariel Atkins with 2:46 remaining in the game.
And on May 30th against the Dallas Wings, she pulled off a highlight-reel-worthy assist. Late in the first quarter, after attacking the basket and drawing two defenders, the 23-year-old threaded the ball between them to find Elizabeth Williams for an easy bucket. That was the first real look at what was to come. But, while Chi-town Barbie is progressing, she isn’t the mastermind behind this strategy!
From boards to dimes, it was HC who let Angel Reese redefine!
No doubt, almost every other second-year player went through a lot to find the pace they had in Year 1. It was the same for Caitlin Clark, and Angel Reese is no different, as the Chi-Town Barbie even recorded her lowest output of a mere two points against the NY Liberty.
And that came when her team needed her the most. But since the Sky featured some new faces and was a comparatively young squad, it all made sense. Then, when veteran Courtney Vandersloot, who was added to provide support to other players, went out due to a torn ACL, Sky head coach Tyler Marsh opted to put the ball in the hands of the bigs.
“I’ve said it from day one, I think the best attribute of our bigs is their ability and willingness to pass. So whether that’s on high-low opportunities or whether it’s driving to the paint and finding the guards and shooters out on the perimeter, I think the spacing is key to create those opportunities for each other and for our guards. They’ve been great at that,” he shared. And since then, it didn’t take long for the Sky to improve to 3–7 back then, all thanks to Reese, who was slowly adjusting to operate as a playmaker.
Imago
Jul 9, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) drives to the basket against the Dallas Wings during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
And that was hard to even think of, because her career numbers didn’t really support the passing load. She is now averaging 3.8 assists this season after averaging 1.9 last year. But as Reese followed Marsh’s belief in her, it all came easily. We’re not saying this, she herself put it best when she shared, “And [Coach] Tyler [Marsh] made that emphasis early on in the season. And I didn’t understand it, and I really was kinda confused and trying to figure it out. I’m still figuring it out. But I have patience.”
And yes, that patience really did wonders, as the Boards Barbie is now getting recognition among fans for her assists. But still, there’s a long way to go, as she currently stands at 3.8 assists per game this season, whereas CC ranks at No. 2 with 9. But still, if you talk about being a competitor while posting the highest active double-double streak, Reese surely is one to look out for.
Written by
Edited by
Shreya Singh