Being one of only a few WNBA rookies to join Unrivaled in its inaugural season comes with a lot of opportunities for Angel Reese. She can help the new league grow quickly while working on her game and maybe even recruiting some free agents. It is still too early to judge how quickly Unrivaled will grow (even though the first few games have been great), but Reese certainly seems to already be succeeding in the other two aspects.
Reese had a great rookie season in the WNBA, breaking several records, establishing herself as a strong rebounder, and making her first All-Star appearance. Nevertheless, there were plenty of things she needed to work on, especially offensively. Reese only shot 39.1 percent from the field in the 2024 WNBA season and only took a handful of threes.
Improving her scoring efficiency around the basket quickly emerged as a priority for her to work on. Adding a 3-point shot to the arsenal would not be bad either, though. The Sky started three non-shooters last season—Reese, Kamilla Cardoso, and Chennedy Carter—and at least two of them are still under contract. If Reese can develop a serviceable 3-point shot, it would drastically improve the Sky’s offense.
Reese wasted no time and worked on her game in the offseason, even posting the occasional video of her working on her shot. The videos were certainly encouraging but meant little without Reese also showcasing the same improvements during a game. Unrivaled offers the perfect opportunity for that.
Angel Reese has been displaying her improvements in Unrivaled
So far, Angel Reese has played two games in Unrivaled. While her Rose Basketball Club has not won a game yet, Reese’s game has been encouraging to Sky fans. Her first outing was not perfect, as she turned the ball over five times, but Reese still made some interesting plays. She put up eight points in just the first quarter, quickly converting a layup on her first attempt, drawing a foul on Dearica Hamby, and knocking down a mid-range jumper. Overall, she converted three of her seven field goal attempts, grabbed 14 rebounds, and dished out 4 assists.
In her second game, a loss to the Lunar Owls, Reese was not as strong on the boards but took care of the ball and scored very efficiently. She converted five of her ten field goal attempts.
Reese has been working all offseason long, and it is showing. Her shot looks smoother and more reliable. It seems that a low field goal percentage will soon be a thing of the past for Reese. The only thing she has not done yet is attempt a 3-point shot. Still, Sky fans are already getting excited about a significant jump from Reese in her second WNBA season.
Reese’s improvements could make the Sky a free agent destination
Sky fans are not the only ones likely taking note of Reese’s improvements. Other players in the league will as well and some of them are bound to be WNBA free agents. Reese has suggested before that she will try to recruit free agents in Unrivaled. Her visible improvement should aid her in that process.
Since they entered a rebuild and missed the playoffs last season, the Sky may not have been on many big free agents’ radars, but Reese could quickly change that. Playing with one of the most talented young players in the league has its perks, and not just on the court.
After just playing one WNBA season and not seeing much team success, Reese is already one of the most popular young players in the league. She will draw eyes to the Sky from fans and media alike. The better she gets, the more people will pay attention to her and her team. That may be enough to convince some free agents to consider the Sky as a potential destination from now on. Soon enough, the Sky will also be a playoff team again.