Angel Reese is one of the faces of the WNBA alongside the likes of A’ja Wilson and Caitlin Clark. Prior to getting drafted, she was seen as one of the top prospects in her draft class. It was a shock to most people that she was the seventh pick given how well she did at LSU. She proved her worth as a rookie when she led the league in rebounds prior to picking up a wrist injury which derailed Chicago Sky’s season. She continued where she left of this offseason in Unrivaled, where she averaged 13.3 points, 12.1 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. Despite doing well in her first year, there are several elements of her game she must improve going into her second year in the league.
Angel Reese Needs To Make These Adjustments In Year Two
Half Court Finishing
Reese needs to work on her half court finishing. She shot 36.3 % at the rim when she was in high school, which is underwhelming for a player touted as highly as she was. Last season, she had the worst high-volume finishing season of any WNBA player since 2011. Reese shot 43.8% from inside five feet, which is quite a big distance away from Clark’s 66.1%.
When you factor in offensive rebounds, her finishing style is that of a small point guard, not a 6’3″ center. Reese makes basketball much more difficult for herself when she scoops the ball so low on layup attempts. This makes it hard to control where the ball will go.
Decision Making/Finishing At The Basket
Reese should have more patience at the basket and trust her teammates for the betterment of the group. Trying to finish tough shots at the rim is detrimental when others players are in better positions. She should also hold the ball higher and use her IQ more often. Doing these will help her put shots over defenders near the basket. If she can do both of these, her assists numbers will increase.
Raising her launch angle would pay dividends for her finishing, as the technical fixes would compensate for some of her athletic issues. If Angel Reese can finish at the basket, then her rebound numbers will decrease, since most of her rebounds are from her misses. She should still have high rebounding numbers as she always shows great hustle to crash the glass.
Jump Shot
Finally, the second-year forward must work on her jumper if she wants to be a more efficient scorer. If she continues to put in the work in this offseason, then there is no doubt she will get to her spots and have more confidence. These improvements will mean that she will not miss 6-9 shots a game due to shortcomings from her layups.
If she can finish some of her layups she will be a more efficient scorer. If she finds her teammates at the basket instead of trying to get a tough shot, then her assist numbers will improve. She will become a better player by facilitating her teammates, especially if they are left wide open.
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