Angel Reese’s rookie season in the WNBA has officially concluded following a serious wrist injury. Reese announced the news with a social media post. In the post, the Chicago Sky Center penned her thoughts on her rookie season, claiming that she succeeded in making a mark in the WNBA despite nobody believing in her ability to do so.
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What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lolThrough it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed.… pic.twitter.com/re1X85mWR2
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 8, 2024
Stephen A. Smith took to his ‘Stephen A. Smith Show’ to address these claims by Reese. Smith reminded Reese that she literally had millions of fans rooting for her. Therefore, it is disingenuous to claim that nobody believed in her.
Requesting the Chicago Sky star to provide receipts of people doubting her, Smith asked Reese to stop exaggerating her circumstances.
“Could you stop please? What the hell you mean nobody thought you could make it to the league? Who are these people? You’re a first round pick. Won a National Championship at LSU,” said Smith.
“No one doubted whether you belonged in the WNBA. Who are these people? Where is your evidence?” he asked rhetorically.
Smith didn’t hold back on Reese by bringing up the countless accomplishments she achieved in her collegiate career. Reese was a household name during her NCAA days. In LSU’s championship run in 2023, Reese was named the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four.
Hailed alongside Caitlin Clark as one of the faces of women’s basketball, there was no discussion about whether Reese was a WNBA talent. It was widespread knowledge that she was.
Subsequently, Smith expressed his frustration with the mentality that players such as Reese seem to display.
“Don’t be the typical athlete that always leans on a bunker mentality. ‘The world was against me!’ No they weren’t. It’s millions upon millions of people who are rooting for you!“
Although Smith is critical of Reese’s comments, he has acknowledged the great season she has had. Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark also released a statement shedding light on the greatness of Reese following the announcement of her injury.
“Congratulations to her, I thought she had a tremendous year, and I thought she came to the league and really did what she’s done well her entire career, as long as I’ve known her. So it’s [the injury] definitely devastating. That’s never anything you want to see from a player,” said Clark.
Reese had a rookie season for the history books. Cementing herself as one of the premier players in the WNBA alongside Clark, she had one of the best rebounding performance in the history of the league.
