Angel Reese proved to be a top WNBA defender as a Sky rookie. Offense is the focus for Year 2.

CHICAGO — In the early weeks of her rookie season, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese made one request: “I want to guard the best player every game.”

It didn’t take long for that wish to come true. In her first preseason game against the Minnesota Lynx, Reese picked up Napheesa Collier — arguably the league’s best power forward and the eventual runner-up in MVP voting.

Before that game, Reese wasn’t a big believer in “welcome to the WNBA” moments. She had been one of the country’s best defenders throughout her college career. Everything else — scoring, playmaking — might take longer, but Reese knew how to keep an opponent uncomfortable and dominate the backboard. Surely that would translate.

That wasn’t exactly the case. In 19 minutes of game time, Collier gave Reese a brief tutorial on what it means to guard a WNBA great, dropping 17 points with something close to ease.

“I felt like I was exposed that first time,” Reese said Tuesday during her end-of-season interview with media. “And I was like, ‘I don’t want to feel like that again.’”

In a season highlighted by breaking records and establishing new expectations for commercial success in women’s basketball, defense remained Reese’s main source of pride. She averaged 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds, leading the league in rebounding while setting a WNBA record for consecutive double-doubles.

Defense defined how Reese saw herself as a rookie — and the legacy she hopes to build, both in Chicago and in the WNBA at large.

It’s easy to underrate Reese as a frontcourt defender because she doesn’t block that many shots. She averaged 0.5, well behind fellow Sky rookie Kamilla Cardoso (1.4). But Reese operated as the team’s defensive anchor for most of the season, which became painfully evident during her absence over the final six games.

Reese quickly proved to be even more adaptable in a professional defense than in college. Her on/off rating backs this up — the Sky were significantly better with Reese marshaling the defense, averaging 8.1 more defensive rebounds and 1.6 more steals while dropping their opponents’ offensive rating by 11.2 points whenever the rookie was on the court.

While statistics support Reese’s defensive impact, she also passed the eye test with visible proficiency in the most important soft skills for a stretch-four: rotating off the ball, challenging at the perimeter and navigating switches.

“Defense is something I really wanted to focus on and tap into,” Reese said. “I want to be able to bring that energy. I think defense brings energy. I won championships just playing defense and rebounding. So I understand the importance of that.”

Reese also knows she won’t live up to her full potential until she balances her play on the other end of the court. And that’s where her focus already has shifted for the upcoming offseason.

The first step is getting healthy. A fractured left wrist cut her season short. She underwent surgery Sept. 10 and spent a week in a hard cast, which was then replaced with a removable cast. Reese expects to be out of that cast Oct. 8, at which point she will begin physical therapy with a goal of returning to full contact before the Unrivaled season begins in January.

Reese has maintained a training schedule since surgery with daily workouts that include running, agility and one-handed basketball drills. Once she’s cleared for heightened activity, she’s eager to improve her all-around fitness to be more competitive in Year 2.

As the No. 7 pick in this year’s draft, Reese didn’t expect to be a starter as a rookie, but she averaged 32.5 minutes — the most on the Sky and 14th in the league.

“At times I felt tired. At times I didn’t feel tired,” she said. “Just being able to be in top-notch shape, I think that separates you from a lot of great players.”

Reese plans to establish a more rigorous nutrition plan in addition to working on cardio endurance and strength training. She hopes that will improve her ability to hold up in one-on-one battles with other bigs while also feeling more comfortable in late-game situations.

With a heavy emphasis on improving her athleticism, Reese already has a checklist for the skill areas — footwork, finishing through contact and shooting efficiency — to drill in the offseason as she works to become more of an offensive threat.

She was the least efficient player in the WNBA around the rim, shooting 44.5% inside the restricted area. Her shooting was a sore spot at every point on the court. Reese shot 11.1% between 5 and 9 feet, 33.3% in the midrange, 35.7% on long 2s and 18.8% on 3-pointers. While she made clear progress on her midrange attempts in the second half of the season, defenders still sagged completely off Reese this season, reflecting her relative harmlessness as a scorer.

The first offseason is crucial for rookies such as Reese, who had only 14 days between her final college game and draft day. This is the first period she will have to work on her shot and ballhandling, two keys for her to make the jump in a WNBA offense.

While seeking mentorship from basketball greats such as Sky co-owner Dwyane Wade, Reese said she receives the same consistent message: Take the shot. Even if it feels weird. Or embarrassing. Even if it misses. Hell, even if it misses the whole rim. Just take the shot.

“This offseason is going to be about confidence for me,” Reese said. “I know I can hit the shots, but it’s just going into it with that mindset, like: ‘It’s OK if you missed the first shot. Take the second. If you missed the second, take the third.’”

This offseason isn’t just important for Reese — it’s a crucial time for the Sky to continue rebuilding the roster through free agency and the draft while embracing their young core of talent.

Reese is tuned in to conversations between general manager Jeff Pagliocca, coach Teresa Weatherspoon and the rest of the front office as they approach free agency, the expansion draft and the amateur draft over the next six months.

“I’m a good GM a little bit on the low,” Reese joked.

But she said she isn’t worried about influencing those decisions, emphasizing her trust in Pagliocca to assemble a more competitive roster for 2025.

“Obviously players reach out and say they would love to play with me, so I just let him know and he does what he wants,” Reese said.

As she looked back on her rookie season, Reese had another goal: giving herself more grace.

It’s a common struggle for rookies. This season was a constant dichotomy of balancing personal victories with growing frustration over the Sky’s inability to win games or make the playoffs.

Reese hopes to feel more joy about her own accomplishments in her second season with the Sky. But there’s still only one goal for 2025 — win.

“It’s really hard for me,” Reese said. “I wasn’t able to sit and congratulate myself on a lot of things. And I’ve never been like that. I don’t know, I’ve always been a mindset of — if everything that you did today looks good tomorrow, then, like, you didn’t do anything today.

“I want to win. Like, if we win a championship — that’s the biggest thing for me. I just really, really want to win.”

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