Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese battled for the WNBA Rookie of the Year title throughout the 2024 season, primarily against Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark. Although Clark is the favorite and many believe he will win the award, considering Reese’s hand operation at the end of the season, the Sky striker has been phenomenal throughout his season. He finished the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. The 6-foot-10 forward was definitely an immediate impact player, but WNBA legend Sue Bird thinks she can be even better. Bird recently talked about Reese’s development in his rookie season. She said Reese has been able to produce at a high level, but if he can increase his shooting percentage, he can take the next step. The WNBA champion also explained that Reese is not “going away.”
“She kind of knows what shots she’s going to make,” Bird said. “All she has to do is increase her shooting percentage by 3, 4, 5 points, which is completely doable, and all of a sudden we see a kid who averages 13 and 13, he’s like 18 and 13. .. is not far from those blows that come.” Sue Bird on what she finds most attractive about Angel Reese’s game: “She knows what kind of shots she’s going to get… All she has to do is increase her 3-point shooting percentage, 4, 5 points – which is totally doable – and suddenly we’re looking at a kid… When the season ended, Reese shot 39.1% from the field and 18.8% from three-point range, but the rookie isn’t known for his skills beyond that. Sue Bird thinks people talked bad about the rookie because of his shooting percentage. She explained that the rookie needs to focus on improving that area of his game, but made sure to share that Reese could definitely make those changes and see his talent grow.
Sue Bird Bird’s opinion has weighed heavily on the WNBA community for years. Retired from the WNBA in 2022 after being selected with the first overall pick in the 2002 draft, she is one of the most decorated and respected names in the WNBA. The former Seattle Storm star left the game as a four-time WNBA Champion, thirteen-time All-Star, five-time All-WNBA First Team and three-time All-WNBA Second Team.