Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is in Phoenix, Arizona, preparing for her first WNBA All-Star game on July 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET. Before taking the floor on Saturday, Reese shared her thoughts on the treatment she has received from league veterans.
The young star out of LSU is joined by Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark as the only rookies at WNBA All-Star weekend.
While Reese mentioned she thought competing with established stars would be scary, the 22-year-old was relieved after she was able to go through pregame practice and shoot around with her teammates.
“I thought they were going to be mean to me as a rookie,” Reese said. “I thought I was going to have to do all of this stuff as a rookie. … My teammates have been great. I’ve had a great rookie experience. The vets have been great, on not just on my team, but the other team they’ve really welcomed me. It’s not as scary as I thought it was going to be.”
Reese hasn’t just been recognized as a talented rookie this season. She’s at the top of the WNBA rankings in rebounds per game with 12, just beating MVP front-runner A’ja Wilson, who averages 11.9 rebounds per game.
She’s also shown a high-level skill set on the offensive end, averaging 13.5 points per game, while starting every game in Chicago’s 10-14 record.
Reese will play alongside Nneka Ogwumike, Jonquel Jones, Arike Ogunbowale and DeWanna Bonner at the WNBA All-Star game.
She may have been worried about the treatment she would get from the players on her team, but Reese seemed thrilled with her rookie experience.
