Angel Reese's Unrivaled coach shares honest feelings on star forward's basketball IQ

The Rose BC will enter Unrivaled’s first-ever championship game after taking down the Laces BC, despite the injury of star player Angel Reese. The 22-year-old forward missed the game due to a left wrist injury, but she made her presence felt still on the sidelines to help Rose enter the Unrivaled finale.

According to Rose head coach Nola Henry, Reese played a crucial role in the team’s in-game adjustments, commending her basketball IQ, despite not playing in the game. Henry cited an instance in the game’s third quarter where she accidentally asked Reese if a double-big lineup adjustment would work on the floor, to which Reese replied with an encouraging yes.

“She also had a real basketball mind out there as well so I think it was there in the third quarter. I thought I was talking to my assistant, when I went double big. But I wasn’t, but it was actually Angel,” Henry said during the post-game press conference. (From 6:12)

“I have a ton of respect for her on the court and what she brings. Even if she was not able to play, she still brings the energy, but also great basketball mind especially for a young player,” the coach said.

Without Reese, the team went to Naz Hillmon and Azura Stevens in the second half, alongside guard Chelsea Gray, to go double big against the Laces in the second half. The adjustment turned out well as Rose outrebounded the Laces, 29-23, despite Reese’s absence.

Reese led the league in rebounds during the regular season, averaging 12.1 rebounds per game on top of 13.3 points. The Rose now moves on to the finals round, where they will face the No. 4 seed Vinyl BC, whose squad defeated the top seed Lunar Owls in the semifinals.

Rose head coach shared brief response regarding Angel Reese’s availability for Unrivaled finals

Coach Nola Henry provided an update on Angel Reese’s availability for the Unrivaled finale during the post-game press conference. Henry did not give any specifics on Reese’s injury, since they have not talked about it to her yet.

"I have no insight because we haven't had a chance to talk yet," Henry said.

Reese injured her left wrist in their final regular season game last week. It was the same wrist she injured during the final stretch of the 2024 WNBA season, causing her to take a season-ending surgery before recovering just in time to compete in Unrivaled.

Reese was named the Unrivaled’s Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league in rebounds. However, since the end of the regular season, there has been no clear update about the extent of Reese’s injury, making her return doubtful for the league’s finals on March 17.