The Women’s National Basketball Association is a league considered the women’s equivalent of the NBA. Although it may lose 50 million dollars a year, it has unlimited entertaining moments. From obscene items being thrown on the court to some of the nastiest beefs in sports, the WNBA is the equivalent of the class clown of sports.
An active participant within the league’s consistent waves of controversy is the amazing, beautiful Angel Reese. Angel is an athlete from Randallstown, Maryland, who is not afraid of controversy, even in her college days. She was originally on scholarship at the University of Maryland, leading the team to a Sweet Sixteen appearance in her breakout sophomore year. She then entered the transfer portal, going to LSU where she became a greater star.

This path had many ups and downs, where her time and dedication in leading LSU to a national championship over Iowa sparked one of the most viewed beefs in history between her and Caitlin Clark. Reese’s “you can’t see me” gesture and ring finger point after LSU defeated Iowa sparked a huge controversy. Critics called the move unsportsmanlike, while supporters point to similar behavior by others and argue that the backlash has racist and sexist undertones. These debates have been a frequent occurrence in Angel Reese’s Career
This controversy was the beginning of all the Angel Reese differences in perspective. It all stems from toxicity considered by most to be on the Angel Reese side toward Caitlin Clark. The rivalry between these two didn’t only occur in the NCAA; it even carried over into the WNBA as both continuously get into it on the court.
While Angel isn’t afraid of the spotlight with her controversy, she has also put up many respectable numbers in her career. This six-foot-three-inch forward is well known for her physical and relentless rebounding and play. In college, she held many accolades such as setting the NCAA single-season record for double-doubles with 34 in 2022-23 — the most ever by any Division I player. While she may not be the best scorer, with her shots having the nickname of prayups, her rebounds are her redeeming qualities. In her first year in the WNBA, she led the league in rebounds per game (13.1) as a rookie, setting single-season marks for total rebounds and offensive rebounds. This is extremely impressive for a rookie, and although some attribute all these rebounds to missed layups that she recovers for herself, the sheer quantity indicates her true grit.

Reese also established the LSU program records for consecutive double-doubles -20- and single-game rebounds -28- while finishing her career at LSU with 61 double-doubles, the second-most in school history. In the SEC, she led the conference in scoring and rebounding for two consecutive seasons, during which in one of those she set records for single-season rebound and free throw totals. Her postseason impact was just as great, recording a double-double in every game of LSU’s NCAA Tournament run in 2023 to help the Tigers win a national championship. Even though she fell short on back-to-back championships, her capabilities were remarkable in the game of women’s basketball.
Angel Reese may have some controversy, but she has been able to show great dominance in both the WNBA and NCAA.
