Chicago Barbie vs. the WNBA.

Sey
Jul 17, 2024
4 min read

It's not always easy to adapt to pressure. Pressure will make some fold and crumble while others rise to the occasion and get things done. This star may be a rookie, but she’s a veteran to the limelight. #TheMove this week is Angel Reese.

Reese is a professional WNBA player who gained notoriety through her college basketball career. The Randallstown native grew up playing basketball all her life. She played on Maryland teams in the AAU circuits- a popular and competitive organization and graduated from the prestigious St. Frances Academy. It’s a school known for sending athletes to high level college programs. Upon graduation, Reese started her college career at University of Maryland College Park (UMD). After two years of playing for the UMD Terps, she made the decision to enter the transfer portal. Little did she know that decision would be the beginning of her reign as the Chicago Barbie.

Angel Reese UMD uniform — Courtesy of Wikipedia

Reese transferred to Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College (LSU) for a highly anticipated season. Though she was one of, if not, the best player at Maryland during her time there she still left the program during her junior year because she wanted to be better. At the time of her transferring, Reese allegedly admitted that she needed more to make it to the next level (the WNBA). She felt Coach Mulkey of the LSU Tigers was a better fit for the transition she was experiencing.

What a great decision that turned out to be, indeed! The season started terrific with the LSU Tigers going 23-0 for their first couple of conference games. Not only was Reese making headlines, but she gained a new fanbase that admired her beauty and game. The “Bayou Barbie” was born in no time! This team went on to beat another high level player’s-Caitlin Clark’s–team in the National March Madness tournament.

Angel Reese infamous' ring me pose — Courtesy of CBS Sports

By both Clark’s and Reese’s senior season, they had garnered a lot of traction towards women’s college basketball. Reese returned to the finals back to back facing the South Carolina Gamecocks. This put more of a limelight on athletes like Kamilla Cardoso and Te-Hina PaoPao, to name a few. Reese and the LSU Tigers fell short of victory this season, but her impact was surely made.

The buzz from Womens’ College basketball in 2024 had developed from the amazing athleticism, trash talk, and competitiveness the ladies showed throughout the season. Not just the ones I mentioned but so many more across the board. Because the NCAA had such a great year for women’s basketball, people actually paid attention to the WNBA draft. This rookie class has an exceptional group of ladies that have managed to stick out that brief transition from being a college athlete to being a professional.

"24 WNBA Rookie class — Courtesy of @BleacherReport

But, everything isn’t always peaches and cream. Reese was drafted #7 to the Chicago Sky and quickly made her presence known in practice games and in the regular season. For her first 10 games she scored double digits and averaged somewhere between 6-7 rebounds; not to mention the numerous steals and assists she also gathered. However, for “some” reason Reese can’t escape the narrative that she’s either jealous or dislikes Clark. The social media trolls of the world often compare Reese and her together because of their epic battle in college. Despite them not playing the same position, it seems when one mentions Reese other names won’t be too far behind. The two finally had the chance to face off in the “W”. Reese and the Chicago Sky had tough losses in both matchups losing by very few points (70-71, first matchup and 83-91 second matchup).

Angel Reese in uniform — Courtesy of David Sherman via The Spun

After the first game, Reese’s teammate, Chennedy Carter received major backlash from “hurting” an Indiana Fever player with a hard foul. You can look for yourself, but to me they flopped. Besides that, the media and other outlets keep pushing the idea that there’s a bunch of bullies in the league instead of addressing that the WNBA might just be more physical than they realized. Prior to this, Reese had her own tumble against the New York Liberty. That foul was actually harder and in the review you’ll see that Reese did not flop. Furthermore, during press interviews Reese had to remind the spectators that multiple people bought this new attention to the WNBA.

“This all started from the National Championship game…I’ll look back in 20 years and be like ‘yea the reason why we’re watching women’s basketball isn’t because of one person’, it’s because of me too”.

Angel Reese Press — Courtesy of @TheHoopCentral

Reese has continued to dominate the W since the press conference. It’s not easy being so young and having so many people say negative things about you in addition to actual media outlets showing you in a bad light at times. She recently set a new record for most double doubles for a rookie (15) in a row (@overtimewbb)! Reese's consistency has paid off. She's literally been preparing for this moment and telling us all her plans as she's pursuing them. It's no wonder she was also voted to be an All-Star this season! These accolades are more than prestigious for one who's just entering the professional leagues!

I’m excited to see how the rest of the season will go for Reese. I really respect her initiative to start her own empire and legacy. She often tells people not to “put her in a box”, and that she can do anything she puts her mind to. We need more confident young ladies like this; especially more confident Black women. It’s cool to see someone so young accomplishing extraordinary goals and she’s just getting started.