Angel Reese credits WNBA vet for guiding her on off-the-court grind: "Laid the ground for me to walk"

There is no denying that Angel Reese has already made a significant impact on the WNBA in just her rookie season. This year's seventh overall pick not only is making a strong case for the Rookie of the Year award with her on-court performance, but she has also emerged as an icon off the court.

Part of her success as a first-year player can be attributed to the veterans in whose footsteps she follows. Reese credited Skylar Diggins-Smith as one of the examples that she looks up to as she learns to navigate life off the court as a young athlete.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Reese gave props to Diggins-Smith as someone who has laid the groundwork for young athletes like her.

"One of them ones that laid the ground for me to walk on when it comes to this beauty side in sports & marketing yourself off the court!" Reese posted on X. "Always love you Sky!"

Skylar Diggins-Smith has been in the WNBA since 2013, when she was drafted by the now-defunct Tulsa Shock with the third overall pick. Diggins-Smith has consistently been one of the best players in the league throughout her career, having been named to six All-Star teams so far. She's also a four-time All-WNBA First Team and two-time All-WNBA Second Team selection.

Due to her talents, she has signed numerous endorsement deals with major brands such as Puma and BodyArmor. The success she has enjoyed makes her a great inspiration to young athletes like Angel Reese.

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What are Angel Reese's odds to win WNBA's Rookie of the Year?

Angel Reese's stellar play in her first WNBA season makes her a solid candidate for Rookie of the Year. However, oddsmakers still rank her second just behind Caitlin Clark for this prestigious award.

As of August 22, BetMGM has Reese at +1500 to win the ROTY while her rival Clark is heavily favored at -5000.

With 13 more games left in the Sky's schedule, Reese still has plenty of time to make a big enough splash for oddsmakers to place her above Clark in the ROTY race.

Although, regardless of where oddsmakers place her, it is up to the voters to decide who will win awards once the season ends. With her averages of 13.6 points and league-leading 12.3 rebounds, Reese has done plenty to get the voters' attention.

Aside from that, Angel Reese has also registered one double-double after another, sitting at 20 so far. In fact, she set the record for the most consecutive double-doubles by a rookie at 15. She is also only two double-doubles away from breaking the record set by Tina Charles for most double-doubles by a rookie.