This offseason, the very first thing Angel Reese did when she got a thumbs up for her wrist injury that shortened her rookie season was book a ticket to New York, with a purpose. In her first 34 games in the WNBA, the LSU alum was surrounded by noises of an inefficient 39% shooting, despite averaging 13.6 points per game, and stat padding rebounds that made her the league leader in offensive rebounds with 5.1 o-boards per clip, a total rebounding average of 13.1 per game. So, to prevent those claims from eclipsing her second season as well, Reese honed her shooting skills in New York, even adding shooting from beyond the arc in her to-do list, the shot she ended her rookie season with. But back to the WNBA, and well, let’s just say there’s a visible pattern despite some silver linings here and there.

In the 93-58 season opener loss to the Indiana Fever, there were signs she has understood how she can contribute to the Sky better. When she saw her shots not going in, ending the outing to Indy with 5 of 14 shooting, she pivoted to passing and doing what she does best– rebounding. Her work on the defense was also visible. She also picked up from where she left, ending the game with a double-double of 12 points and 17 rebounds. But then, it felt like it all went downhill. It was not just her low 35.71% shooting percentage from the field. She had a second career-high on turnovers with 5 on the night. In her rookie season, she turned the ball 6 times on only thrice, by the end of the run. And seems like the pattern has continued.

If we look at her numbers, comparing her very first five games averages to total rookie season averages to this season’s 5 games, we do find some notable differences:

Although Reese has never really relied on her passing game, she has clearly taken it up to help her team win despite running on a 1-4 record so far. She has also identified her purpose on Tyler Marsh’s team outside of the stat sheet and without being on the ball all the time. But there have been some concerning things about her play. And Ros Gold-Onwude has given her take on the same.

Ros Gold-Onwude said on the Good Follow podcast, “Let’s address Angel. First of all, Angel Reese, we know she works hard, and she’s crashing that glass. It’s not for lack of effort; she’s averaging 9 points and about 14 rebounds per game, but again, the efficiency—she’s shooting even lower than she was last season, and we wanted to see improvement there. She’s shooting 30% from the field, and it’s only three games, but she’s also averaging about five turnovers a game, so for me, it’s even less about the shooting, and for me, it’s more like the decision-making for Angel.

“There’s opportunities for her to pass out. I’d like to see Angel, over the course of her career and I’m sure we will, where she’s better at anticipating and making the right play out and making the teammates involved, being a player that can get more assists for her teammates. But right now, I just see a young player that could use more time and more film sessions. And is certinaly willing to be a student of the game.”

The Chicago Sky got their win against the Dallas Wings, but Reese, despite being a +3 on the night, still wasn’t effective on the shooting front. She only made 6 points off of 2 of 6 shooting from the field. But she contributed with 5 assists and 9 rebounds. The highlight reel? A clutch assist to Kamilla Cardoso, who converted the go-ahead basket, putting the Sky ahead. But her shooting at 33% certainly needs an improvement. This becomes important for her now more than ever as HC Marsh adds rotations and plays that rely less on her. 

By this time, everybody has watched that embarrassing 8-second clip in which she missed 4 consecutive layup shots from 3 feet of the basket and caught the o-boards only to miss again. She eventually passed it out to Kamilla Cardoso, who issued the three, and that rebound Reese missed. Her 33.3% field goal percentage ranks outside the top 50 in the league and marks a noticeable drop from the 39.1% she posted last season. Even in 2024, she was already walking a fine line when it came to shooting efficiency, but she managed to offset it with strengths in other areas of her game, such as rebounding and defensive presence. Now, she has a turnover problem too.

Over the five games, she is already averaging 3.8 TOs, about double of what she did in her very first season in the professional league. Already, turnovers have been a major hurdle for the Chicago Sky this season, as they lead the league in giveaways with an average of 17.2 per game. This has been a key factor in their inability to establish a consistent rhythm on the court. A notable portion of those turnovers comes from her, the forward who runs the offense primarily in Chicago.

Her rebounding numbers remain strong, but in the WNBA, you can’t afford to be a one-dimensional player. While her assist numbers have improved from last season, rising from 1.9 to 2.8 per game, the film tells a different story. There are plenty of missed opportunities, and with Tyler Marsh’s aid, she’s certainly developing her game to other areas on the floor. 

Tyler Marsh clarifies stance on Angel Reese’s performances 

Reese’s poor game against the Dallas Wings was masked by them getting their first win. She has still been breaking records, as she became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach the 500-point and 500-rebound mark. As a high-rebounding team, standing at second with 37.6 rpg right after Atlanta’s 38.9 per game, her work on the glass has not been as productive as one would hope. The Sky stands fourth in second chance points with 13.7 per game. In the paint as well, they stand at 37.2 points per clip, fourth best in the league. However, there could be an improvement since Sky has two powerful and experienced bigs in the paint. So has Marsh been frustrated with Angel Reese?

Well, he was questioned regarding Reese’s form and he has clarified that Reese has been working on contributing in something apart from rebounds. “I think that’s what her skillset allows her to be, that we shouldn’t just look at her as a rebounder or just as a scorer. There’s so many different things that she can do on a court that help a team win.”

The coach definitely wants her to grow beyond just her defensive prowess, and in a way she is. She is slowly improving her instincts while defending off the dribble, as she has 1.6 steals per game this season, up from 1.3. Marsh is still looking at the brighter side of the game. On the other hand, Reese, without a doubt, is one of the best defenders in the league and the best on the team so he must find a way to help the sophomore. He further highlighted that she has been ‘versatile.’

“And even though shots weren’t falling for her tonight, she had 5 assists, she had huge rebounds down the stretch. And that’s the kind of versatility that we see in her, and she’s embraced it so far,” he added.

It’s a better situation than just trying to go for more shots and missing. It hasn’t helped the Sky squad. She attempted her lowest so far this season with 6 attempts. So, she knew her shots weren’t going in and played around the team and contributed where she could. Certainly a better scenario than the Indiana game when she attempted 14 and made only 5. 

However versatile Reese becomes, her rebounding, hustle, and defensive presence have already made a strong impact, but as teams adjust and scout her tendencies, the ability to stretch the floor and knock down shots also become crucial. If Reese can continue focusing on smarter shot selection, like sticking to high-percentage looks near the rim, and sharpen her court vision, she could turn things around. With tough games against teams like the Las Vegas Aces coming up, she’s got to adapt fast to quiet the critics and help the Sky find their groove.