Angel Reese is already an All-Star. She established herself as one of the better bigs in the league in just one season all the while drawing a huge fanbase to the WNBA. Reese is a walking double-double, averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game and breaking some rebounding records throughout the season.
Rebounding is one of Reese’s biggest skills. It is what she is currently best known for. While playing in Unrivaled this offseason, Reese even grabbed 21 rebounds in a game against the Lunar Owls and 17 rebounds in a game against the Laces.
Her talent has had a huge impact on the Chicago Sky, giving them the chance to build a playoff team and eventually a contender around the young star. Reese has also had a notable impact on players not on her team, however.
Dearica Hamby says Angel Reese’s rebounding inspired her
The Los Angeles Sparks are another team trying to build a contender around a young big. Cameron Brink barely played in her rookie season due to an early ACL tear, but the Sparks still traded their lottery pick for Kelsey Plum, accelerating the timeline of their rebuild. With Plum now on the roster, the Sparks have two All-Stars and the chance to play much better than they did last season.
The other All-Star is Dearica Hamby. Hamby is a three-time All-Star, a WNBA champion, and two-time Sixth Woman of the Year. In the 2024 season, she averaged 17.3 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 1.7 steals per game with the Sparks. Hamby is a talented scorer and great rebounder, averaging almost a double-double over 40 games.
And yet, she still plans to further improve her rebounding. On Cameron Brink’s podcast “Straight to Cam,” the two Sparks players and Brink’s co-host Sydel Curry-Lee talked about how important rebounding, particularly offensive rebounding, can be for players in the WNBA.
“I think Angel kind of inspired me a little bit,” Hamby said. “I’ve always been like a good rebounder but I think there was like times where I was like leaning more in my legs and stuff. I have to go watch some clips.”
Hamby is a proven veteran, who has had plenty of success over the years and is entering her twelfth WNBA season. The fact that she let the game of a rookie inspire her is a sign of massive respect. It also further underlines the impact Angel Reese is making in the WNBA. Reese is on track to become one of the best bigs in the league and Hamby’s comments should only motivate her more. Another double-digit rebounding season should be well within reach for Reese.