There’s no doubt that Angel Reese had a solid season in her first WNBA campaign, but one aspect of her game has raised some eyebrows, especially amid her current shooting slump.
Although Reese has been a double-double machine this year, the numbers, according to Sporting News, indicate an issue with the LSU product’s ability to finish layups.
Reese is shooting 43.8 percent from within 5 feet of the basket this season, well below the league average of 59.6 percent, and that’s only become more evident as she’s also struggled with her jump shot.
The seventh overall pick in this year’s draft shot just 18 percent from 3-point range and 31 percent from mid-range.
Reese is coming off a game in which she scored 11 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, recording her 22nd double-double of the season and becoming the first WNBA player to record at least 20 rebounds in three consecutive games.
But at the same time, Reese had shot 4 of 16 from the field in what was a 77-75 loss for the Sky to the Aces.
These difficulties have drawn their share of criticism, with even Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy trolling Reese on social media about it.
However, Sky team-mate Chennedy Carter came to Reese’s defence in comments after Sunday’s latest defeat.
“Angel is out there, she’s fighting, she’s trying to get the fouls, she’s playing hard, she’s playing tough, that’s what we need,” Carter told reporters. “She had an unbelievable game, regardless of whether she finished in the circle. She’s doing the things we need her to do for us to be successful. Regardless of the outcome, we’re a team, we’re young, we’re growing and these are situations we can learn from.”
The Sky have struggled since the end of the Olympic break, losing four of their last five games.
They now occupy eighth place in the ranking.
