2 Emphatic Double-Doubles in a Row and 10th of the Season, Has Angel Reese Finally Found Her MVP Touch?

The LSU Tigers are showing glimpses of their previous season’s championship run. They have dominated the SEC with a commanding 16-2 NCAA record in their present campaign. Following this, analysts and observers have started drawing similarities from their previous season’s show. Evidently, one of the profound and explicit reasons behind their resounding success in both their campaigns has been the ruthless run of form of their tenacious forward – Angel Reese.

Similar to last season, the All-American forward has displayed tremendous brilliance on the hardwood. However, the question that remains is – will she end her season on a high just like last time?

What was Angel Reese’s previous season like?

After committing to LSU from Maryland in her junior season, Reese wanted to be a part of Kim Mulkey’s winning culture. Following this, it didn’t take a whole lot of time for her to show her worth. She had an explosive debut against Bellarmine, where she delivered 31 points and 13 rebounds. Soon after, she overtook Maree Jackson’s 1977 single-game rebounding record when Reese grabbed 28 rebounds in LSU’s win over Texas A&M. In addition to this, a spirited Alabama couldn’t stop her from reaching her 20th consecutive double-double which eventually broke Sylvia Fowles’ record at LSU.

A 32nd double-double in the Elite Eight saw her punching her way through Teaira McCowan’s SEC single-season record. Consequently, she was named Most Outstanding Player of the Greenville Regional 2. Moving on to the Final Four, Reese accomplished an SEC single-season rebounding record with her 24 points and 12 rebounds against Virginia Tech. Finally, her 34th double-double won her the Most Outstanding Player award. Additionally, her 15 points and 10 rebounds led LSU to their first NCAA championship.

A comparison between her numbers from the two seasons

The AP preseason All-American Reese had a bumpy start to this year’s campaign following LSU’s season opener humiliation against the Lady Buffs at Vegas. Following this, she had to face a brief suspension of four games due to undisclosed reasons. However, ever since her return, she has been flawless in every LSU contest she’s been a part of. She is inching closer to her previous season’s 23-point-per-game average as she is currently scoring 20.1 points in every game. Additionally, she has crossed the 50% mark for her second LSU season in a row in terms of shooting from the field. Apparently, she is currently draining 50.6% of her shots which is just 1.9% less of what she achieved last season.

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Reese is efficiently holding her defensive end as well. She is the locker room’s leader in grabbing rebounds for the second consecutive season. Compared to her average of 15.4 rebounds per contest, Reese has notched 151 rebounds in her 14 games so far at a healthy rate of 11.5. Further, she has distributed assists at a better pace than last season with a present rate of .1% more at 2.4 per game.

What’s different in Angel Reese’s game this time?

There is no denying that Angel Reese has evolved as a player. Evidently, she has brought a lot more maturity into her play as compared to last season. With much more talent this time around, Reese has shown that she has the ability to come together and execute according to everyone’s roles in the team. While last season, the game revolved around getting the ball to the Bayou Barbie, this time she has ensured a collective effort in LSU’s gameplay from the rest of her teammates.

In addition to this, a lot more maturity and upscaled leadership qualities have also blossomed her game. She has started taking a lot of responsibility in addressing her gray areas and improving on them accordingly. Also, with the help of Flau’jae Johnson, Angel is also trying to figure out what the team needs as a unit rather than chasing individual records. This is evident from the fact that she has improved her numbers significantly when it comes to providing assists.

Will Angel Reese achieve something similar this season?

With a little over 20 games more to go this season, it seems rather difficult for Reese to imitate what she accomplished last season on a personal level. Her impeccable record of finishing with 34 double-doubles seems improbable as the margin is a little far-fetched for now. She currently has 10 double-doubles to her name which will take her a maximum of 32 this season if LSU plays the championship game again. Similarly, she needs another 547 points to match her previous season tally in the remaining games. Defensively as well, she is 394 rebounds behind this season and she is 38 and 47 short in steals and blocks.

As there is a lot of resemblance to her previous season’s numbers, her role in the team is a lot different this time. Clearly, she is now part of a team that no longer revolves around a single player. The responsibility to allow other players to come forward may have affected her individual stats. Nonetheless, at the end of the day, all she cares about is getting the job done for her team.

What are your thoughts on Angel Reese’s current season? Let us know in the comments section.

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