Why isn't Angel Reese in contention for the No. 1 pick?

Regardless of what Dawn Staley says, Caitlin Clark is almost certainly going to be the No. 1 pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. The Indiana Fever hold that pick and she's already delivering a bump in season ticket sales and just signed an individual sponsorship deal with one of the team's biggest sponsors.

But sports media is doing due diligence and at least presenting the case for players like Cameron Brink, Rickea Jackson or Kamilla Cardoso to challenge her. One name who hasn't been included much in that conversation, or even gotten much buzz as a potential No. 2 pick is reigning champion and March Madness Most Outstanding Player Angel Reese.

Remember, Reese outplayed Clark in the the National Final last season, putting up 15 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists, 3 steals and a block. Her overall numbers are down slightly this year but she's draft eligible and a versatile 6-foot-3 big who averaged 19.0 points, 13.1 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.8 steals per game this season, helping lead LSU to a 28-5 record and winning SEC Player of the Year while making First-Team All-SEC and the SEC All-Defensive Team.

But she's ranked seventh on Tankathon's WNBA Draft Big Board. ESPN's latest Mock Draft has her going seventh to the Minnesota Lynx and back in December, The Athletic had her mocked going No. 11 to the New York Liberty.

Why isn't Angel Reese considered a more intriguing WNBA Draft prospect?

The full answer includes multiple variables but the first and most obvious issue is her lack of shooting range. She was 5-of-32 from beyond the arc in her four-year college career and while that lack of range doesn't doom her WNBA prospects it puts a damper on them, especially when so much of her other scoring comes by leveraging energy, strength and relentlessness around the basket.

Those are all positive attributes but there are more polished, effective and versatile frontcourt scorers available, like Brink, Jackson and Alissa Pili. And while Reese is a strong defender she's more of a disruptor than a pure rim-protecting anchor like Brink or Cardoso. She's one of those players who has an incredibly successful formula at the college level but scouts aren't convinced it will translate in exactly the same way at the next level.

The other issue that will almost certainly continue to follow Reese, rightly or wrongly, is her four-game absence earlier this season. She was benched by head coach Kim Mulkey for the second half of a game against Kent State and then held out of the next four games. Mulkey hasn't specified what the issues were and the rumor mill went wild. Reese was eventually back on the court and making all the big plays her team needed from here But when it comes to the investment of a WNBA Draft pick that won't be the only thing that matters to some decision-makers.

The bottom line is that Reese is a fantastic college player and will almost certainly be an impact player at the next level. But it will require some adjustment and development for her to succeed (just like with any other player) and teams may feel more confident in the specific skills and talent of other players to fit needs or translate more quickly.