You could call Angel Reese an absolute demon on the boards. Off the hardwood, however, the “Bayou Barbie” tag sounds more appropriate. “I’m versatile, I can tap into both” said Reese about juggling her WNBA stardom with her love for fashion. You could see that when she rushed from Baton Rouge to the pristine Blue carpet of the Metropolitan Museum of Art for another edition of the Met Gala. She’d stumble into Megan Thee Stallion, vibe with Doechii, and make it to one of the best-dressed lists. But if you thought Reese was stopping to relish, think again.

The juggling of dual lives is no cakewalk. When Angel attended the event last year, she had a preseason game less than 24 hours later. So when she exchanged the corset for a jersey this year and took on Minnesota, it was no surprise for the ‘Reese’s pieces’.

In their first test against a WNBA side, Angel’s nine points and eight rebounds would help Chicago secure a 74-69 win. Angel’s grace on the carpet would extend to the hardwood as she took on the 2024 finalists on her birthday. While her dominance on the interior is undeniable, questions were raised last season around the lack of a perimeter game. So when she took the ball coast-to-coast in the second quarter and hit the Lynx with a swift spin move and bucket, it left even the broadcasters impressed.

“That feels new,” he said. But also highlighted it has been in the works for a while now, calling it “An expansion of what we’ll see up here.”

That was Angel Reese after landing from NYC at 2 a.m in the morning. “I don’t know how I am doing this. I am running on vibes,”  she’d tell the reporters. “Just trying to maximize everything.” The Chi-Town Barbie celebrated her birthday on Saturday, flew down to NYC on Sunday, and returned hours before the second preseason game on Tuesday. When Reese said she was ready for season 2, this is what she meant. Pure dedication. And let us tell you, it is not just reflected in juggling dual passions.

The 23-year-old was expected to be doing more than just her rebounding duties this year. When Tyler Marsh was asked at the start of training camp where he wants Angel during games, he replied, “Everywhere, there is no limit. We want her to be dynamic.” Further explaining his demands, the first-year head coach said, “We want to put the ball in her hands on the perimeter and allow her to facilitate and create off the dribble as well.”

So the change in role comes as no surprise to those around the Sky star. After all, Angel has built this offensive arsenal rep by rep in the offseason, and the work has only started to show.

Reese’s promising offseason

While Angel had an impressive rookie season, recording double-double left, right and center, she knew she had to improve to take the next step. So when Lisa Leslie offered to help her realize her offensive ceiling, Angel made sure to commit. The W legend was seen training Reese on her post game during the inaugural season of Unrivaled. Angel, who was a member of Rose BC, followed through and be a sponge.

“For me to hear from you, and see that you’re like, ‘Yes, I want you to work with me, I want you to help me, I want to get better,’ that’s what it’s about,” Leslie told Reese. “The fact that you already have that attitude? You’re going to get better, and I can help you get better. I’m positive. I’m serious.” 

Ever since the arrival of Tyler Marsh, Reese was expected to take a bigger role in the squad and it was evident across the offseason. In a video shared by Karli Bell of Courtside, Reese was seen shooting 3s after the practice. The forward only took 16 three-pointers across her rookie season and Marsh has been vocal about improving on that front. Reese also worked on lifting her release motion during the offseason and when teammate Vandersloot saw the buzz around her shot, she made sure to instill confidence in the sophomore forward.

“Being able to stretch her range is going to be a big thing… I’m going to get her a lot of catch-and-shoot shots. Her being able to knock that down will make us a really hard team to guard.” she said.

Reese’s promising offseason has only started to bear its fruits. Her frontcourt partner, Kamila Cardoso, who didn’t enjoy the kind of rookie season she expected, would also benefit from Reese operating on the perimeter. It would provide Cardoso space to operate, making for efficient shots. Angel Reese heard all the noise around her layups last year, and her display against the Lynx is sure to silence naysayers across the league.