During this WNBA season the discourse and narratives surrounding Angel Reese’s ability and performance has been a controversial topic. The disparaging commentary about Reese’s rebounding statistics coming from her misses haven't stopped, even though they're not longer accurate. Reese leads the league in both offensive and defensive rebounds — this year, she's grabbed 30 more defensive boards than anyone else in the W.
Reese has been a bright spot for the Chicago Sky this season. She is averaging 12.6 points, 12.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists this season despite the Sky's struggles. After losing Courtney Vandersloot for the season due to an ACL tear, Reese has stepped into the ball-handling role and is also leading the team in assists. Not only has Reese continued to display dominance on the glass, but she also has been more efficient, shooting better percentages from the field in all three phases of scoring than she did as a rookie in 2024.
Angel Reese has embraced the narratives around her
During late May, the term “mebound” was coined on social media describing Reese’s elevated rebound numbers stemming from securing her misses. Less than a month later, Reese responded by trademarking the term and creating a line of merchandise with the word “mebound” visible across the chest. "MEBOUNDS, REESEBOUNDS, REEBOUNDS" were the words boldly plastered in the caption on Reese's Instagram post displaying the new glittery line of apparel.
Athletes are programmed to respond to adversity and that is exactly what Reese has done. Reese has answered the call of criticism and ridicule by continuing to be the leader of a struggling team in Chicago. She is one of three players (Caitlin Clark, Alyssa Thomas) to record a triple-double this season, and she's also leading the league in double-doubles, something she'll likely do for years.
Reese's confidence and demeanor has been under fire by media outlets, but what other player have we witnessed create glaring stat lines on a nightly basis and not have swagger? Often, the negative annotations attached to Reese aren't necessarily about her numbers. She's confident and that rubs a lot of people the wrong way.