Unrivaled is giving us a teaser of what’s coming in the WNBA season, and honestly, it’s been everything. The stars who were supposed to shine? Not so much. The veterans? Doing what they do best. And then there are the ones proving what real growth looks like—enter Angel Reese. After a slow start, her Rose squad has found its rhythm, now sitting at 7-5 with a playoff spot, led by the unstoppable duo of veteran Chelsea Gray and rookie Reese.

And in their latest matchup was another wild battle. Facing Laces BC for the third time this season, Rose was looking to grab back-to-back wins after their early February victory. But Laces came out swinging, jumping to a 15-5 start behind Alyssa Thomas. That lead didn’t last long, though. Rose stormed back with a 12-2 blast to end the first quarter tied at 17.

From there, it was a dogfight. By halftime, Reese had already stacked up a casual double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds), helping Rose sneak ahead 31-30. The back-and-forth continued, but when the fourth quarter rolled around, Chelsea Gray and Reese took over. Gray drilled a clutch jumper to seal a 58-53 win.

That dagger earned ‘Point Gawd’ a new nickname from teammate Brittney Sykes: “Clutch” Gray. Spot on! Meanwhile, the LV Aces star herself made her feeling known about Reese, who ended this game with 16 points, 17 rebounds, four assists while shooting 7-of-14 from the field.

“She’s been putting extra time, extra work in and it’s showing…you’re seeing her growth throughout the course of this season. Offensively and defensively. We’re getting a front row seat to that growth.”

“She’s been putting extra time, extra work in and it’s showing…you’re seeing her growth throughout the course of this season. Offensively and defensively. We’re getting a front row seat to that growth,” she said. And how can we not agree?

While we all knew the double-double queen could crash the boards like nobody’s business, her finishing at the rim needed some serious work. Her layup conversion rate last season was straight-up rough—the worst in the WNBA, actually. Shooting 39.1 percent from the field when the league average was 43.8 percent was not ideal. And Reese knew it too.

That’s why when she jumped into the Unrivaled league, her main goal was to improve. That’s exactly what she did. Over her past three games (before facing Laces), she’s been on a tear, averaging 20.3 points and 16.7 rebounds per game while shooting an improved 51 percent from the field. 

Through her first 10 games in Unrivaled, she’s bumped her field goal percentage up to a solid 47.3 percent (44-of-93). And she’s still doing what she does best—leading the league with 12.3 rebounds per game, including 3.5 offensive boards. The internet is full of praise for her, and the doubters are silenced.

And a big chunk of that credit goes straight to Lisa Leslie.

Lisa Leslie’s impact is all over Angel Reese’s game

It almost looks like the three-time WNBA MVP Lisa Leslie came to make Reese’s game better at the most perfect time. On the Unapologetically Angel podcast, she got straight to the point. No sugarcoating. “The biggest advice I have for you is going to be how you shoot your layups, period. We’re going to fix that.”

Right there, that was the mission.

Leslie didn’t just stop at pointing out what needed work, she laid out a blueprint for Reese to level up. She praised the 22-year-old’s defense, hustle, and work ethic, but made it clear: if she could sharpen her finishing around the rim, she’d be a whole new problem for defenders. The Chicago Sky soaked it all in, fully aware that Leslie is someone she’s looked up to for years.

Since then, the W legend is hands-on, drilling Reese on footwork, patience in the paint, and using the glass more effectively. The difference is already showing. Reese is reading defenses, making smarter moves, and finishing stronger. No more wasted opportunities.

Naturally, Lisa is loving every second of it, too. During Reese’s dominant performance against the Lunar Owls, she couldn’t hide her excitement. “I am like a proud mom sitting here watching,” she said.

Seeing what Lisa Leslie is doing with Reese, it’s wild that no WNBA team has locked her in as a head coach yet. The 2025 coaching list is full of fresh faces—seven of the eight new hires have never held a WNBA head coaching job. But Leslie couldn’t care less and is out here creating her own legacy by mentoring the next generation. We’ll have to see if Angel Reese carries this momentum to the pros!