Angel Reese is indeed all about the flair and fire, and it is translating. That’s coming straight from her LSU teammate. “Angel is a competitor, and so am I,” Aneesah Morrow, didn’t hesitate to bring a little smoke to the draft stage. But even in her competitive spirit, Morrow was quick to admit something deeper. “She helped me a lot while I was at LSU,” she added. That little follow-up line? It said everything. Angel Reese isn’t just someone you battle on the court—she’s someone who fuels you. But now, it’s not just Morrow. 

Add a three-time WNBA All-Star to the list of pros who’ve felt the Reese effect.

In a recent episode of Straight to Cam—Cameron Brink’s own show—Las Vegas Aces forward Dearica Hamby opened up about her ten-year journey in the league. Talking about the physicality of the game, players being stuck to the floor, and how versatility matters more than ever, Hamby suddenly shifted gears mid-thought. While breaking down her mindset on rebounding and positioning, she let it slip:

“But yeah, I want to… I think Angel kind of inspired me a little.” Just like that. One line, no fluff. But it landed heavy. And if you’ve followed Hamby’s grind—especially her recent run in Unrivaled—you’d know exactly what she meant.

Hamby’s been on a tear. She dropped 17 points and snagged 6 boards in a win over the Laces. Then she exploded for 31 points and 11 rebounds in a narrow loss to the Lunar Owls. And in that mix? She was going head-to-head with none other than Angel Reese. Hamby, a proven rebounding force herself (she averaged a career-high 9.2 boards last WNBA season), saw something in Reese’s game that made her go, wait a minute.

“There were times I was leaning more into my legs and stuff,” she said. “I’m gonna have to go watch some clips.” And those clips? Probably included Reese’s monster Unrivaled showing. The Chi-Town Barbie was active, aggressive, and in-your-face every second. She ended up leading the 3×3 in rebounds with an average of 12.1. She won the Defensive Player of the Year Award, and made the All-Unrivaled Second Team. That speaks enough. 

Even Brink herself couldn’t help but drop some praise. “She can move people,” Brink said. “Angel honestly needs to come out with a masterclass on offensive rebounding… She’s just always head-hunting,” Well, that’s Reese.

She became the first WNBA rookie to post back-to-back 20-rebound games since Shaquille O’Neal did it in the NBA back in April 1993. She put up 13 points and 20 rebounds against Connecticut, then followed it with 19 points and 20 boards in Phoenix. Critics will say her field goal percentage—hovering around 38-39%—dampens those stats. That she gets so many rebounds because she misses her own shots. But here’s the thing: she still gets them. Nobody’s handing them over. And as Hamby rightly noted, “So not too many misses, but those are shots that you can rebound.”

Reese isn’t just crashing the glass. She’s anticipating. Reading her teammates. Knowing when a shot’s going up. And that’s where the instincts kick in. 

She’s evolving, too. Reese is building confidence in her outside shot—and it shows. Lisa Leslie is helping her behind the scenes, for one. Reese is still only scratching the surface. She’s not polished. But she’s powerful. Brink and Hamby proved that right. So, everything seems to be falling in place for the Chi-Town Barbie. But it isn’t just her own game. 

She’s Got Company: Angel Reese Reunites with Hailey Van Lith in Chicago

Angel Reese isn’t walking into her next season solo anymore—not with old friends pulling up beside her. It’s Hailey Van Lith, a familiar face, joining Reese once again as the Chicago Sky’s No. 11 pick.

“We ain’t do it right the first time. Let’s run it backkkk,” Reese posted on X, grinning at the chance to run it back with her college backcourt partner.

Their last run at LSU may have ended with an Elite Eight loss to Caitlin Clark’s Iowa squad, but there’s no question about the chemistry between the two. Reese didn’t just repost the Sky’s draft graphic—she backed her friend when the Aces’ Chelsea Gray reminded folks not to sleep on the 11th pick. “Oh we won’t Cap,” Reese replied. “Thank yaaaa.”

Van Lith is coming off a strong bounce-back season at TCU, where she averaged nearly 18 points per game and looked more like the scoring threat she was known to be. And she’s just as hyped to be back with Reese. “I’m excited to be around her again,” she said, adding that the two stayed in touch even after Reese left LSU.

With these two rocking Sky blue, Chicago just got a lot louder, tougher—and definitely more fun.