Angel Reese made the All-Star team in a productive rookie year that saw her average 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and set the record for consecutive double-doubles.
What those numbers don’t completely capture is how well Reese played on the defensive end of the floor. Rookies usually take some time to acclimate defensively. Reese was special, standing out as a significant plus from Day 1.
The WNBA gives only 10 players the honor of making one of its two All-Defensive teams. Reese might not be a part of that exclusive group, but she deserves serious consideration for the award. She had an under-the-radar defensive season.
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Why Angel Reese deserves All-Defensive team consideration
Angel Reese has plus perimeter defense skills
Reese was mostly kept near the basket during her time at LSU. She was put into a different role with the Sky, and she showed that she is very capable of guarding out on the perimeter as well as down low.
Reese had some brilliant sequences throughout the year that demonstrated how capable she is against all sorts of players. She has great hands, as she showed in ripping the ball away from last year’s MVP Breanna Stewart in semi-transition.
She also has solid footwork, which was on full display against this season’s MVP, A’ja Wilson.
Reese was very capable of guarding out to the 3-point line in isolation situations. Watch her cut off DeWanna Bonner’s drive and snatch the ball away from her.
Those hands show up in her post defense as well, where she fights to prevent early seals and makes entry passes tough. If you throw a casual pass near her, she will pick it off and dive on the ground for it.
Reese’s versatility was somewhat unexpected, but she showed that she can guard different types of players. She moves well, and she’s a very smart defender.
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Angel Reese is an elite defensive rebounder
Reese was the league’s No. 1 overall rebounder and her 8.1 defensive rebounds per game was second behind only A’ja Wilson’s 9.8. There’s not really much to say here aside from the obvious fact that Reese ended a ton of possessions for the other team because of her crazy motor on the glass. She attributed that success to knowing how important rebounding is towards winning.
“A lot of people think it’s because I’m the tallest on the court, when I’m not the tallest on the court. Just being able to go down there and bang, doing things that a lot of people don’t want to do. Defense and rebounding wins championships. And I’ve won championships at every level by just doing that.”
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Angel Reese is a great help defender
Reese is good on the ball and she’s great away from it. Her impact is evident in her on-off stats — the Sky rebounded the ball much better, got more steals, forced more turnovers and got more stops when she was out there.
There are a couple of reasons why the Sky defended so much better with Reese. One is her communication. Despite being a rookie, she was not timid about directing teammates on plays.
Couple possessions ago, Angel was calling out what Dallas was running.
Backpedaling on defense and goes “Slice! SLICE!”
you better pay attention girl!! 🥺
— “Sha-Vaughn”B.| 🌖🪬 (@SiobhanBeslow) June 20, 2024
Reese has excellent positioning and rotations as a helper. She’s great at keeping her head on a swivel, paying attention to the action in front of her while keeping an eye on her own defender in her peripheral vision. She has a non-stop motor, which allows her to impact plays late. She rotates quickly and decisively, icing a pick-and-roll and jumping back to deflect a pass.
Reese has a nose for the ball, which shows up everywhere in her game. Watch her defend three players here, then come out of an eight-person scrum with the ball:
Reese’s defense is probably going to be underrated throughout her entire career. The easiest way to judge defense for bigs is through their block numbers. She’s fairly mediocre there — she averaged just 0.5 blocks per game as a rookie. Her rim protection numbers were also just so-so. Opponents shot 61.2 percent against her in the restricted area, which ranked 23rd of 53 players who defended at least 300 shots.
Reese may never be an overwhelming rim protector. She’s more comfortable low-pointing the ball for a steal than swat it into the stands. But whatever she does is working. The Sky were 20.5 points per 100 possessions better with her on the floor versus off it, which was the biggest difference of any player in the league.
Reese’s offensive rebounding and double-doubles make the headlines, but she’s more than that. She’s a very unusual player who you have to really hone in on to see why she has such a massive impact on the floor.
If you’re paying attention, then you will see a great defender forming in Chicago.