Angel Reese had a tremendous, Unrivaled season from start to finish. Unfortunately, she could not play in the semifinals and finals due to injury. However, that does not eliminate Reese having one of her best playing seasons in her young career. Reese improved from beginning to end. Angel was not the same player when the season started in January. She has improved overall from shooting to attacking the rim, fighting for rebounds and playing her game.
The most significant difference is Reese’s finishing touches. The ability to finish at the rim accurately has improved, thanks to the legendary Lisa Leslie, who worked with her during the inaugural season. Once the WNBA season begins, the fans, basketball community, coaches, and analysts will see the vast difference in Reese’s game. Unrivaled turned out to be the best offseason move for Reese.
Defensive Player of the Year
Seeing Angel awarded the Defensive Player of the Year is no surprise. Reese led in rebounds per game at 12.2 and led the Rose in blocks this year. In her last game against the Vinyl, she recorded 13 rebounds and scored 10 points. She dominated all season long in rebounds.
Reese had fun off the court during Unrivaled; she had the opportunity to shoot her podcast Unapologetically Angel in Miami. She interacted with every player and got to know them personally. That’s the beauty of Unrivaled: players get to know each other personally and wouldn’t have the same opportunity to speak to players the same way during the WNBA season. It is a small arena but a tight-knit environment. The basketball community had the chance to learn about the players as individuals, storytelling at its finest, something the WNBA lacks.
Reese had a phenomenal Unrivaled season and ended the season as DPOY and a champion. Her team, Rose, defeated Vinyl 62-54 in the finals.
