Angel Reese struggled on Thursday night as her Chicago Sky beat the LA Sparks 83-73. Reese managed just six points on 3-of-8 shooting from the field. Reese added six rebounds and three assists. She showed up on the defensive end with two steals.
Reese did not outscore fellow first-round rookies Cameron Brink and Rickea Jackson of LA. Brink finished with seven points and six rebounds. Jackson had ten points in the losing effort.
Reese also got in foul trouble with five personal fouls. Her foul trouble limited her playing time as she played only 25 minutes. It was the third time this season that foul trouble limited her minutes.
The former LSU star was instead carried by her teammates in the win as the Sky moved to 3-3. Marina Mabrey led the way with 20 points. Elizabeth Williams added 17 down low and Dana Evans scored 15 points of her own in the win. Reese was a solid +17 in +/- against the Sparks.
Angel Reese's off-night vs Sparks an anomaly amid strong rookie season
Angel Reese’s sluggish night on Thursday was more of an anomaly than a pattern this season. Reese has been playing well in her first season in the league.
Reese is averaging 12.0 points, 8.6 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.2 steals per game this season. She is the third-leading scorer on the Sky. She also leads the team in rebounding despite being more of a wing player.
Reese had scored in double figures in every WNBA game before her rough night against the Sparks. She dropped a season-high 13 points twice this season: once in a loss to the Connecticut Sun and once in a win vs the mighty New York Liberty.
Reese is shooting 37.3 percent from the field and 66.7 percent from the free throw line. She has not made a 3-pointer yet this season but has only attempted two.
Angel Reese is second in the league in scoring among rookies, behind only her former college rival Caitlin Clark.
Angel Reese will look to bounce back in the Sky’s next contest and it's a big one. Reese will take on said rival Clark as the Chicago Sky travel to the Indiana Fever.
The game tips off at 12pm ET on Saturday June 1. It will air on national TV on ESPN. It will be one of the biggest marquee matchups of the early WNBA season.