Before missing the last few games of the year due to a wrist injury, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese put together a fantastic first season in professional basketball.
She set the WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles with 15, nearly set a record for most rebounds in a season (before Aces superstar A’ja Wilson surpassed her), and proved that she was the steal of the 2024 WNBA Draft.
Yet, if there was one constant criticism of Reese, it was her finishing ability around the basket.
However, if there’s one person who could Reese with her bucket-getting in the paint, it’s Lisa Leslie.
Leslie is a two-time WNBA Champion, two-time WNBA Finals MVP, three-time WNBA MVP, eight-time All-Star, eight-time All-WNBA First Team honoree, and perhaps the best post player in the history of women’s basketball.
And during a recent episode of the “Fast Friends” podcast from Just Women’s Sports, Leslie spoke about how she wants to work with Reese in the future.
“What [critics] are saying is that she’s getting a lot of her own missed shots as rebounds,” Leslie said. “Which is true. However, she’s still amazing. And if you are playing defense on her, and you know she’s going to do that, do your job.
“So the fact that she’s able to shoot it and get her rebound back, that’s your fault,” Leslie added.
She later said, “I told Angel day one, she’s going to be amazing. I knew she was going to have this type of season. She has a whole ceiling of space to improve on.
“I hope to work with Angel one day in the gym. Really just to help her get to that next level, because I believe that she really can,” she concluded.
With Leslie’s wisdom, Reese could quickly turn into an MVP candidate like her rookie peer Caitlin Clark.
