Angel Reese is one of the biggest figures during the 2024 March Madness tournament, and many expect the LSU Tigers star to become one of the central figures in the 2024 WNBA Draft. Her outstanding play throughout her collegiate career made her one of the most exciting people to watch in women’s basketball.
However, news broke out that her WNBA Draft stock suddenly took a nose dive just before the 2024 Draft gets underway. For her reputation among WNBA teams to take such a hit before the draft happens is going to make fans wonder just what made this sudden shift in narratives happen.
LSU Tigers’ Angel Reese expected to fall as low as seventh in the 2024 WNBA Draft
Jonathan Lehman of the New York Post made a detailed mock draft of what the 2024 WNBA Draft would look like. Caitlin Clark, who recently drew praise from John Calipari, is the clear first pick off the board due to her incredible scoring.
However, the most surprising bit of Lehman’s mock draft was where Reese ended up: seventh with the Chicago Sky. He explained his reason for the selection, which questions whether Reese can keep up the level of production she showed with the LSU Tigers against more talented competition:
You might be thinking: “What?!? How is Reese so low — she put up monster stats, was the best player on a title team and is one of the faces of the sport!” Well, there are also pressing questions about how Reese’s game will translate: Can she continue her signature offensive rebounding rate (6.0 per game over two LSU seasons) against pros? Will her awkward-angle finishing and utter lack of shooting remove her as a scoring threat? What about that mystery midseason absence? The Sky, who traded up one pick into this spot Sunday morning, have a new head coach in Teresa Weatherspoon who has mentored Zion Williamson and a need for more Q rating.
LSU fans who watched Angel Reese play all season wouldn’t believe the hot take Lehman presented, and her stats prove that. During her two years with the Tigers, she showcased an all-around game with averages of 20.9 points, 14.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.9 steals, and 1.3 blocks on 32.6 minutes per game.
While Lehman’s criticisms are warranted, it’s hard to imagine Angel Reese not putting up a fight in the pros. With how she is as a person, it’s not hard to imagine her succeeding in the WNBA.
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