Just a few days ago, Angel Reese, the No. 7 pick in this year’s WNBA Draft, made history by surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ record (404) for the most rebounds in a single season. With eight games still left to play, Reese has already secured her place in the record books, averaging 13.3 rebounds per game-a pace that would give her the highest season average in WNBA history.

At this rate, she is likely to become the first player ever to reach 500 rebounds in a single season, a milestone that keeps her firmly in the running for the Rookie of the Year award. However, despite her impressive performance, the competition is fierce this year with Caitlin Clark’s exceptional play making the award contest more challenging.

Dwight Howard Mocks Angel Reese

 

A significant portion of Reese’s 418 rebounds-39.47% to be exact-has been on the offensive glass, totaling 165 so far this season. A few weeks ago, a video of Reese missing a shot, grabbing her own rebound, and then missing again went viral, leading to some ridicule and criticism.

The video even caught the attention of Dwight Howard, who is currently playing in Taiwan at the age of 38. During a pick-up game in a park, after several missed layups, Howard jokingly said the players “we’re pulling an Angel Reese.”

Could we be moving from shouting “Kobe” when making a shot to now shouting “Reese” when we miss? Dwight Howard, a 5-time NBA rebounding leader, 3-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, and 2020 NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers, has a similar style of play to Reese-or perhaps it’s more accurate to say she plays like him, though with more misses.

Reese has a field goal percentage of 38.5%, while Howard’s lowest was 52% during his rookie year with Orlando Magic. Still, the missed shots in the video do resemble Reese’s struggles, as she isn’t having her best season outside of rebounding. The Chicago Sky (11-21) are currently at risk of missing the playoffs.

Chicago Sky’s Playoff Hopes at Risk

 

While Reese’s rebounding and defensive skills continue to shine, her team’s performance is a more pressing concern. Since returning from the Olympic break, the Sky has won just one of their last eight games and are tied for the last playoff spot with the Atlanta Dream (11-21), whom they will face in the second-to-last game of the season-a match likely to have playoff implications.

Today, the Sky faces the Las Vegas Aces (20-12) and A’ja Wilson, who is on track to win her third MVP award this year. Wilson recently scored over 40 points in two of her last three games and was named “Player of the Week” last week.