Angel Reese gets praised by Lisa Leslie after WNBA All-Star nod (Image Credit: Angel Reese’s Instagram and Lisa Leslie’s X)

Aside from Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is another rookie who has garnered a lot of attention from fans and the media in her first year in the league. With a fiery competitive spirit coupled with an offensive game at the post, Reese earned her first All-Star nod. It was an incredible achievement that WNBA legend Lisa Leslie responded to by praising the rookie.

During this year’s draft, Reese was selected seventh overall by the Sky after four seasons playing at the collegiate level. She capped off her college career with two impressive individual seasons with the LSU Lady Tigers. Now getting her first run at the big league, the young forward has continued to thrive in the new environment.

Leslie posted her comments about Reese’s latest accomplishment on X, which garnered over 2.5k likes on the platform.

“@Reese10Angel I’m so proud of you! Congratulations on your first All-Star,” Leslie wrote. “I told you! They will all regret passing on you.”

@Reese10Angel I’m so proud of you! Congratulations on your first All-Star! I told you! They will all regret passing on you💐💐💐💐

— Lisa Leslie (@LisaLeslie) July 3, 2024

A couple of doubts were associated with Reese regarding the transition period of her game to the professional level. However, she has figured it out while establishing herself as a reliable double-double machine.

In the 18 games, the Sky rookie is putting up 13.2 points (39.7% shooting) and 11.8 rebounds per game.

Angel Reese feeling grateful for being named in her first All-Star appearance

Following Chicago’s impressive 85-77 victory over Atlanta Dream on Tuesday, Angel Reese was ecstatic with the win and her All-Star selection.

“We won today, but they just told me I’m an All-Star,” Reese said (h/t Fox News). “I’m just so happy, I know the work I’ve put in. Coming into this league so many people doubted me and didn’t think my game would translate and I wouldn’t be the player that I was in college. … But I trusted the process, I believed, and I’m thankful that I dropped to [No.] seven and was able to come to Chicago. It’s just a blessing.”

Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese going against Indiana Fever forward NaLyssa Smith (Image Credits: GETTY)
To prove the critics wrong, once one is starting to make a strong impression in the big league, it is an incredible sense of accomplishment in itself. Not many players coming from college can achieve the same level of success once they are matched up against the elite players of the game.

Through that level of adversity, Angel Reese came out on top, and from how she’s been playing so far in the WNBA, it looks as if she’s only scratching the surface of her potential.