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Angel Reese Reveals Mindset Amid Pressure of WNBA Stardom

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Robert Marvi | Last updated Jul 22, 2025 12:57 AM ET

Being a highly regarded young prospect in any pro sports league comes with plenty of pressure. That is especially true these days in the WNBA with all the added interest and attention the league has gotten over the past year or two.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese isn't quite the household name that rival Caitlin Clark is. But she came into the league as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft after leading LSU to the women's NCAA championship over Clark's Iowa Hawkeyes in 2023, and thus, people expected a lot from her.

During a press conference at All-Star weekend, Reese was asked how she has handled the pressure that has come with being hyped as a future star. She said she has handled it by having the right mental approach.

“Just staying grounded. Keeping the main thing the main thing.”

“Just staying grounded. Keeping the main thing the main thing”

- Angel Reese on how she handles the pressure pic.twitter.com/oNfjMbqak3
— CHGO Sky (@CHGO_Sky) July 22, 2025

Last year, Reese made the All-Star team and was the runner-up in the Rookie of the Year balloting to Clark, but she shot just 39.1% from the field. Lately, however, she has been making major strides offensively.

So far this season, she's shooting 44.6% from the field, and in her last eight games, she has made 52.7% of her field-goal attempts while averaging 19.1 points a game.

Reese's main talents come in the defense and rebounding departments. She's the WNBA's leading rebounder this season at 12.6 boards a game, and her aggressive, chippy style of play makes her tough for opposing players to handle.

Chicago is just 7-15 so far this year, but Reese and second-year stud center Kamilla Cardoso have given the franchise hope that it will become very competitive in the not-so-distant future.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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