In just one season in the WNBA, Angel Reese has already established herself as one of the next big stars in the league. She was almost unstoppable on the boards, broke several records, and was one of two rookies to make the 2024 All-Star Game. And that was only her first season. There is so much more to come.
To reach her true potential, Reese will have to make some improvements. Scoring efficiency and developing a serviceable 3-point shot are probably the most important steps she needs to take to continue to excel in the WNBA and get to the next level. As a rookie, Reese averaged a double-double but also shot only 39.1 percent from the field and 18.8 percent from three on incredibly low volume. The first issue will likely sort itself out with more experience and an improved team around her.
The second is a bigger issue and not just for Reese individually. In the 2024 season, the Sky started three non-shooters and struggled to space the floor. Out of those three players, Reese and Kamilla Cardoso are already under contract long-term. Playing two non-shooting bigs next to each other is difficult in today’s WNBA, and the easiest way for the Sky to improve in that area is for Reese to become a better 3-point shooter.
Angel Reese shows off encouraging process on Instagram
Reese has evidently been working precisely on that while waiting for Unrivaled’s inaugural season to tip off in January. Recently, Angel Reese and her trainer, Iren Rainey, both showed off some of Reese’s work on their Instagram stories. In the clips, Reese was shooting and making threes comfortably from the left corner and the right wing.
No one is expecting Reese to turn into Sabrina Ionesco throughout just one offseason and suddenly start firing a ton of threes in the 2025 season, but if she can start punishing defenses for leaving her alone on the perimeter, it would go a long way for the Sky.
The Sky took only 14.9 threes per game in 2024, which ranked last in the league by a significant margin. While it is not on Reese alone to fix that, seeing her shoot more threes and also convert them is an important step in the right direction, especially if it is paired with the Sky bringing in more proven three-point shooters to help out Rachel Banham and Michaela Onyenwere on the perimeter.
Seeing Reese knock down threes in practice is encouraging, but fans should not put too much weight on it until they see it during games. After all, most players and coaches prefer to only post the impressive parts of their workouts on social media. Fortunately, Sky fans will get a chance to see Reese in action soon when she suits up for the Rose Basketball Club.