Alongside Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese was the other star rookie to join the WNBA in 2024. Since then, she has established herself as one of the most elite role models in the community and a rebound and double-double specialist in the league. While she did struggle last season with the Chicago Sky, the now-Atlanta player and the WNBA’s 2026 double-double leader revealed how she has handled expectations after setting the steals benchmark.
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“Continuing to push through every day,” Reese said, as per CBC Olympics correspondent Savanna Hamilton. “I know there are a lot of young girls and I got a lot of young boys that are looking up to me. So, just being mindful of that, being a leader. Being able to be a role model as best as I can.”
“I know I’m not gonna be perfect every single day. But hopefully they know they don’t have to be perfect… Just continue to fight through every day and push through and know that you can do anything if you put your mind to it.”
The weight of expectations has been on Reese ever since she set foot in the WNBA. Reese isn’t a perfect player on the court, as she lacks precise shooting skills like her contemporary, Caitlin Clark. Despite that, Reese is already elite in other areas, and as per Real App’s stats, after the Toronto Tempo win on July 18, she now holds the record for the most consecutive games with multiple steals by a center this century.
And this isn’t the first time that Angel Reese has spoken of being a role model. “I think you just continue to grow and be a trend setter or whatever you want to be. You can be a girl and be a dog who can kill too. I encourage young women to be whoever you are,” Reese had said last year, as per Basketball Network.
Reese is definitely one of the most touted rebounders in the league. But her defensive tenacity remains mostly underrated. Playing as a center for Atlanta under Karl Smesko’s system, her defensive ability has gotten even better this season.
Reese is also in touching distance of becoming the third player, after Yolanda Griffith and Tina Charles, to average a double-double in each of their first three WNBA seasons. If Reese eventually manages to do it, it will be a silver lining for her career and an inspiration for those looking up to her.