What Other WNBA Players Have Said About Angel Reese

Angel Reese has been named one of two major frontrunners in the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year race. While Reese's long–term purported rival, Caitlin Clark, has recorded more notable achievements as of July 2024 — including putting up the first triple-double by a rookie and leading in the number of assists in a single game (19) — the self-proclaimed "Chi Barbie" has one major accomplishment to brag about. On Sunday, July 7, 2024, Reese recorded her 13th double-double of the season in a game against the Seattle Storm, which instantly made her the league's all-time leader. Her double-double streak ultimately came to an end at 15 in a game against the New York Liberty on July 12 of that year.

Throughout her rookie year, Reese has not been afraid to blow her own trumpet. In a June 3, 2024 chat with ESPN, she boldly claimed she was one of the reasons more viewers tuned into the WNBA. When she put up a career-high 25 points to help the Chicago Sky secure a win against the Indiana Fever on June 23, 2024, Reese told the outlet, "I'm a dog! You can't teach that. I'mma go out and do whatever it takes to win in every single night. My teammates rely on my energy. So being able to continue the energy even if we're down, even if we're up, that's what I do." Clearly, Reese has a lot to say about herself, but what have other WNBA players said about her? Let's dive right in!

Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese played together for the first time as part of Team WNBA at the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game. Ahead of the highly publicized event, during which Team WNBA was up against the United States Olympics squad, Clark said at a press conference (via the Indiana Fever), "I know people are going to be really excited about it, but I hope it doesn't take away from everybody else. Like, this is a huge accomplishment for everybody on Team USA and everybody on Team WNBA, like, they all deserve the same praise."

True to Clark's sentiments, other players had their moment to shine at All-Star Weekend. Atlanta Dream guard Allisha Gray cemented herself in history books by being the first player to ace the three-point contest and skills challenge in the same season. Similarly, Dallas Wings guard Arike Ogunbowale was named the MVP after a record-breaking 34-point score.

Still, Clark and Reese had some eye-catching moments. First, the duo excited fans with their outfit choices — Reese's skin-baring outfit caused a frenzy, and Clark's nude-orange carpet number turned heads. Second, spectators were stunned when Clark passed the ball to Reese, who made a layup. Finally, Clark finished with a record 10 assists, while Reese put up the first rookie double-double of 11 rebounds and 12 points, which contributed to Team WNBA's 117-109 win.

When Angel Reese was playing for the Louisiana State University Tigers in college, Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson was keeping up with college basketball. In a December 2023 interview with "All The Smoke," Wilson showered praise at Reese's rebounding ability and predicted that it would be her strong suit if she ever turned pro. 

"I feel like I've seen her rebound so much, that I feel like that's gonna be her key when she gets to the league," Wilson said. "If she keeps that up, I feel like that's going to be huge. But I think that's what's going to be the separating factor for her." Wilson further observed that the then-young star may find it hard to adjust as a professional due to the cut-throat nature of the WNBA. "Our league is so tough," the two-time WNBA champion explained, and added, "We got some dogs at every position."

At the time, Reese averaged 18.6 points and 12.3 rebounds. When she got to the league, she didn't fall back so far. As of July 2024, the Chicago Sky forward averages 13.5 points, 12.0 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and 1.5 steals in her rookie year.

After Angel Reese set an all-new double-double record, Seattle Storm forward Nneka Ogwumike gave a nod to her competitive spirit. Speaking to the media at a post-game press conference (via TJ Sports Queens), Ogwumike said of Reese, "She's fearless. One thing about her is that she has an unwavering confidence ... she's relentless, you know, when it comes to how she plays." Ogwumike was also of the opinion that Reese's zealous nature surpassed any expertise a player could acquire on the court. "At the end of the day, you can have a skillful person, but if they're not relentless each time, there's only so far that, that skill could take you," she remarked.

Although Reese's relentless nature on the basketball court is an admirable trait, she can go overboard at times. Ogwumike was on the receiving end of the rookie's ruthlessness during the latter's career-defining July 7, 2024 game against the Storm. A missed call on Reese caught the audience's eye — she unsuccessfully tried to block a shot by Ogwumike, and as the latter scored, she went on to smack her in the face without attracting any repercussions (via Women Hooping). Still, the one-time WNBA champion recorded 12 rebounds and 24 points, which contributed to the Storm's 84-71 win. 

Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso never seemed to see eye to eye in college. During a January 25, 2024 faceoff between Reese's former team, the Louisiana State University Tigers, and Cardoso's University of South Carolina Gamecocks, Cardoso disdainfully stared Reese down (via Women Hooping) after blocking a shot. In true Reese fashion, the former "Bayou Barbie" retaliated with an arrogant smirk after she accomplished a deadeye block. Nevertheless, the Gamecocks won 76-70.

A little over two months later, both Reese and Cardoso were selected by the Chicago Sky in the 2024 WNBA draft. From the get-go, the energy between the pair shifted from feuding to camaraderie. The duo even threw out the ceremonial first pitch at a Chicago Cubs game together. As Reese's WNBA star kept rising, Cardoso was one of her cheerleaders. In a chat with NBC Sports Chicago, she expressed admiration for how Reese had adapted to the league.

"I feel like, Angel, she's a great player. I'm also a great player," Cardoso told the outlet. "And now that we're all actually able to play together — we've been on the court together at the same time — it's amazing! And I'm just so happy watching her. She's doing her thing ... her game translated very well from college to [the] WNBA, and I'm just so proud of her ... it makes my heart warm to see how much we grow and how good we're doing with playing with each other."

Candace Parker has had a string of major historic wins in the WNBA. The long list includes the record for the most consecutive double-doubles, which Parker set in the 2009 and 2010 seasons. A little over a decade after Parker set the pace, Angel Reese began her consecutive double-double streak by recording 13 points and 10 rebounds in a June 4, 2024 game against the New York Liberty. Her run ended when the Chicago Sky lost to the New York Liberty 81-67 on Saturday, July 13, 2024 — Reese put up 8 points and 16 rebounds. Nevertheless, she set a new record of 15 consecutive double-doubles.

Parker, who has since retired from the league, was more than proud of Reese. At the 2024 ESPY Awards red carpet, the three-time WNBA champion was vocal about Reese's victory. "I think it's unbelievable what she's been able to accomplish, and it's been so cool to see her relish in people telling her she can't, and she won't be successful," Parker told ESPN. "And to see her grow throughout this season has been remarkable. I mean, she's a rebounding machine! And we saw that in college, and I know that she took that fuel of people saying, 'Is it going to translate?' and has done just that in this early round."

In a sit-down with "Best of Both Worlds with Flau'jae," New York Liberty forward Breanna Stewart rounded up her list of the most outstanding 2024 rookies. First, she commended Caitlin Clark for restoring the Indiana Fever to its former glory by being a fan-magnet. Clark's star power helped sell out several venues, including Mohegan Sun Arena, State Farm Arena, and Target Center. 

Second, Stewart said she was impressed by Angel Reese's feisty spirit. Angel, she said, stood out because of "the way that she is, you know, constantly working hard ... doing all, like, the dirty work right now, like rebounding, steals, like making sure that she's in all of the action and whatever way she can help her team." Last but not least, the two-time WNBA champion mentioned Kamilla Cardoso as one of the league's best picks.

Although Stewart spoke highly of Reese's fiery demeanor on the basketball court, she's been on the receiving end of her rough side. On May 23, 2024, the New York Liberty was up against the Chicago Sky. During the game, Stewart was in the process of making a three-point basket when Reese attempted to block her (via Women Hooping). Stewart was then sent sprawling on the floor, and Reese was immediately called for a foul. The Sky eventually won 90-81.

On January 23, 2023, the Louisiana State University Tigers were up against the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Tigers had an 89-51 win, and Angel Reese stole the show with a groundbreaking 20 consecutive double-doubles. Subsequently, she trampled the previous record held by Sylvia Fowles (19.) Fowles, who went on to play in the WNBA and has since retired, congratulated Reese in a video posted to LSU's X (formerly Twitter) account. 

In the clip, Fowles made a hand gesture as if she were handing over the double-double crown to Reese and said, "Angel, you did that! Crown off to you. Congratulations on all your success. Continue to be loud, bold, proud, true to yourself. Congratulations! Miss double-double queen." Reese replied to the tweet with a heartfelt, "So blessed! Thank youuu."

Fowles still leads with the most double-doubles recorded in SEC history (83), and as far as WNBA rebounds go, she is the reigning champ as of July 2024 with an astounding 4006 rebounds grabbed during the course of her 15-year career. Reese may not be so far from making WNBA history of her own — at the time of writing, she's grabbed a total of 276 rebounds.

The 2023 NCAA Division 1 women's national basketball championship game between the Louisiana State University Tigers and the Iowa Hawkeyes was the most-watched college basketball game in ESPN history. A reported 12.3 million viewers tuned in to catch Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark in action. In light of the much-hyped tournament, four-time NBA champion Sue Bird, who had retired the previous year, and Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi hosted "The Bird & Taurasi Show" on ESPN.

During the game, which marked the onset of a rumored Clark-Reese rivalry, Reese's trash-talk caught the eye of the basketball legends. "This kid Angel Reese has something about her," Taurasi commented when footage Reese repeatedly pointing to her ring finger flashed across the screen. Bird then chimed in, "Her personality ... contagious!"

Taurasi was stunned when Reese made a gesture of John Cena's "You Can't See Me" motion at Clark. Clearly, she didn't get the memo that Reese has no problem throwing shade in the open. Amid bouts of laughter, Bird, who was just as startled, quickly explained why trash-talking was never her habit on the court. "If you dish it, you gotta be able to take it. That's actually why I don't' dish it," she said. In the end, the Tigers won, and Reese's sassiness paid off since she was named Most Outstanding Player.

The loud spectacle Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark created during the 2023 NCAA tournament caught the attention of Las Vegas Aces point guard Kelsey Plum. Plum spoke highly of the after-effects of the historic game when she appeared on "All The Smoke" with Matt Barnes & Stephen Jackson. "Those two are tremendous. I think that it's so cool to see, like, them take off after that, too" Plum observed. "To capitalize on that, for me, the NIL, like, that to me was really cool to see. And, people wonder, like, 'Is that good for the W?' I think it's great. I think it pushes that envelope further and further ... got people talking that didn't even watch basketball before."

The Reese and Clark craze grew bigger when they got to the WNBA. Days after Reese joined the Chicago Sky, she tweeted that her No. 5 jersey was flying off the shelves. In a similar fashion, Clark's No. 22 jersey went out of stock only a few hours after she was drafted by the Indiana Fever. Clark also triggered an endorsement bidding contest that ended in a reported $28 million, eight-year Nike deal.

On July 6, 2024, Angel Reese put up her 12th consecutive double-double in a game against the Seattle Storm. At that point, she tied with Candace Parker. Reese's Chicago Sky teammate Chennedy Carter recorded a season-high 33 points in the same game, which contributed to the Sky's 88-84 victory. Afterward, she endorsed Reese for Rookie of the Year. "Barbie is Rookie of the Year," Carter proclaimed (via ESPN.) " There's no other way to put it. She goes out, she does her work every single night no matter what team we're facing ... I'm telling you. Barbie is Rookie of the Year for sure."

As of July 2024, the stakes in the Rookie of the Year race are still high. Despite Carter's passionate support for Reese, Caitlin Clark is statistically the stronger contender. The all-time NCAA leading scorer accumulated a total of 445 points, 151 rebounds, 213 assists, 38 steals, and 22 blocks in the WNBA. Reese, on the other hand, had 311 points, 41 assists, 34 steals and 10 blocks, which supplement her rebounds. Reese's rebounds (276) have often been discredited for being off of her own misses, but she still has the highest number of offensive boards if those are counted out.

On June 27, 2024, the Chicago Sky took on the Las Vegas Aces. Ahead of that face-off, Aces guard Kate Martin complimented Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso's athleticism. "I'm really happy for them for how they've been playing," Martin said in a FOX5 Las Vegas interview with reporter Paloma Villicana. "They are big, they are strong, they are athletic post players, and they go hard every, you know, every play ... They O board like crazy and they rebound like crazy." The Sky eventually lost 95-83, but Reese recorded her ninth consecutive double-double of 18 points and 11 rebounds. 

Cardoso, on the other hand, put up five points, eight rebounds, three assists, and one block. While that wasn't her best performance, her overall stats are generally impressive, especially since she was thrown off early in the season by a shoulder injury. Per the WNBA rookie rankings, Cardoso stands at No. 6 as of July 2024. She has averaged 8.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 0.4 steals, and 1.1 blocks.