WNBA Draft 2024: Will Angel Reese go No.1?

LSU Tigers forward Angel Reese declared for the WNBA draft in a Vogue photo shoot in early April after her squad was knocked out of the NCAA Tournament. Reese is one of the top players in the nation and presents a skillset that could translate well to the professional level.

Reese is at the top of a stacked draft class this year and is expected to be an early first-round pick. The Indiana Fever own the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, but is Angel Reese the player they want as the face of the franchise?

Here's a look at where Angel Reese is projected to be selected in the draft and if she will be taken first overall.

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Will Angel Reese go No. 1 in the 2024 WNBA Draft?

Angel Reese is not likely to be the first overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft. It would be baffling for any player besides Caitlin Clark to be the first pick of the Indiana Fever, but Reese will likely be an early first-round selection.

Reese is projected to be taken anywhere between the fifth and eighth picks this year. The Dallas Wings or Minnesota Lynx look to be the top two teams expected to select Reese to join their squad.

She would fit right in on a Dallas Wings team that has no shortage of size and ranked first last season in total rebounds. The Wings have six players who shoot over 40%, so Reese could focus on her strengths without having to try and do too much.

The Minnesota Lynx aren't in desperate need of any position. Reese could easily settle in and improve her game without having to shoulder too much responsibility as a rookie. The Lynx could be a great destination for her to develop her game and improve in areas she isn't proficient in.

Angel Reese could be a huge attraction for basketball fans of whichever team she joins. She's dominant on the boards and a lethal scorer from the low post.

Her defensive skillset is also what makes her such a high prospect in the draft. She's an outstanding rim protector with good mobility, which allows her to defend multiple positions.

Where she struggles is on the offensive end, outside the paint, though. She lacks the ability to consistently shoot well from distance, which is the main reason she likely won't be a lottery pick in the draft.

However, her skillset and elite interior presence are things that teams won't want to pass up on.

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Angel Reese's career at LSU

Angel Reese began her college career at Maryland and spent two seasons playing there under coach Brenda Frese.

In her freshman season with the Terrapins, Reese played 15 games and was a starter in four of those games. She averaged only 15 minutes per game but still posted an average of 10.0 points, 6.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks that season.

She took on an elevated role in her sophomore season at Maryland, starting in 31 games and averaging 25.9 minutes on the floor. She averaged a double-double that season with 17.8 points and 10.6 rebounds.

Reese transferred to LSU in 2022 to play under Kim Mulkey, and that's where she established herself as one of the top players in the country. In her first season at LSU, she averaged a career high of 23 points and 15.4 rebounds. She improved her shooting from the prior season to 52.5%.

She would help lead the Tigers to the 2023 national championship that season and beat Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes to the title. She won the NCAA Tournament's Most Outstanding Player that year and was a unanimous first-team All-American as well.

Reese would see a slight drop in her scoring and rebounding output. She averaged 18.6 points, 13.4 rebounds and a career-high 1.9 steals in what would be her final season at LSU.

The Tigers went as far as the Elite Eight in the 2024 NCAA Tournament before falling to the Iowa Hawkeyes in a rematch of last season's championship game. Reese played well, finishing with 17 points, 20 rebounds and three blocks but shot just 7-21.

Reese ended her collegiate career averaging 18.6 points, 12.3 rebounds and 1.2 blocks. She played 116 games over four years and owns one NCAA championship title.

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Which team do you think will select Angel Reese in the 2024 WNBA Draft? Let us know in the comments below.