Angel Reese has been dominating the boards in her rookie WNBA season, but some critics think she needs to start spreading the love on the court.
In a nail-biter between the Chicago Sky and the Las Vegas Aces on Friday night, Reese put up 12 points and snatched a jaw-dropping 22 rebounds.
But here’s the kicker-those 22 rebounds etched her name in the WNBA history books, making her the only player ever to pull down 20 or more rebounds in three straight games.
The catch? She achieved this by grabbing four consecutive offensive rebounds on her own missed shots late in the fourth quarter. Yeah, you read that right-she grabbed four boards off her own misses!
But not everyone is throwing confetti for her rebounding prowess. Instead, the sequence has sparked some serious side-eye from fans and analysts alike.
Reese did eventually get to the charity stripe, but what’s raising eyebrows is that she had a teammate chilling at the three-point line, wide open, during that wild rebounding spree.
This isn’t the first time Reese has been laser-focused on the basket while her teammates are left hanging on the perimeter.
Whether she’s padding her rebound stats intentionally or not, that’s what some are saying.
Chasing records or sacrificing team play?
It’s clear that Reese knows how to secure the boards-her 22 double-doubles this season have already tied her with Tina Charles for the most by a rookie in WNBA history. But is her rebounding blitz coming at the expense of her team’s overall play? That’s the burning question.
With 11 games still on the slate, Reese has a prime opportunity to shatter Charles’ record. The real challenge might be finding the balance between personal accolades and team success.
Reese’s rebounding record is nothing short of phenomenal, but the chatter around her playing style isn’t going away anytime soon. Will she adjust and start dishing out those dimes, or will she continue to crash the boards with reckless abandon?