Angel Reese sends message to doubters after Sky beat Liberty

In just the third game of her WNBA career, Angel Reese helped the Chicago Sky earn a victory over the previously undefeated New York Liberty.

She finished with 13 points and 9 rebounds in the 90-81 victory, improving her own and the team’s record to 2-1 on the season.

Reese, who was not present at Sky’s post-match press conference, fired off a one-word tweet after the victory.

“12,” Reese tweeted on May 23.

The 22-year-old phenom is referring to an article about the preseason power rankings published on ESPN. Chicago was ranked 12th, dead last.

This same Sky team beat a Liberty team 4-0 that was ranked second in the same article.

Reese clearly feels she and Chicago were shortchanged during preseason discussions.

After the biggest victory of her professional career so far, she doesn’t let anyone forget it for a second.

Reese and the Sky will play their next game against the Connecticut Sun in their home gym on May 25.

Following their last victory, she averaged 12 points and 8.7 rebounds per game.

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Reese bounces back after empty first half

On the road against one of two teams to play in the 2023 WNBA Finals, Reese couldn’t have looked more comfortable.

She brought physicality to the game from the jump, guarding reigning MVP Breanna Stewart from open to close.

That included an early steal in the first quarter that helped set the tone for the game.

Stewart finished the night with three turnovers, and each can be attributed to Reese’s defensive efforts.

But there were early struggles on the offensive end for the Sky star, who finished the first half 0 of 5 from the field.

She left them in the rearview mirror, coming back to life late in the fourth quarter to score 8 points and put Liberty away.

So far, it’s a historic start for Reese. ESPN’s Alexa Philippou pointed out some historic numbers in a postgame tweet.

“Angel Reese is the only rookie this season to record 10+ points in his first three games,” Philippou tweeted on May 23. She is also the first Sky player to start her career with three consecutive double-digit scoring games, and her 26 rebounds are also the franchise record over such a span.

Reese and Sky skeptics are wary of buyer’s remorse. And that’s not all Reese had to say after the win over New York.

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Reese throws shade at Barkley and LeBron

After the dust settled on her first tweet, Reese fired a second one and an apparent shot at members of the media who credit Caitlin Clark for the WNBA’s growth in 2024.

Reese tweeted “and it’s about winning in a crowded area and not just because of one player on our charter flight.”

This appears to be a response to Charles Barkley and/or LeBron James, by all accounts, after comments made in previous days.

In a May 22 episode of the “Mind the Game” podcast with JJ Redick, James credited Clark for the WNBA’s recent growth.

“Don’t get me wrong,” James told Redick. “Caitlin Clark is the reason why a lot of great things are going to happen in the WNBA. …I support Caitlin.

Barkley echoed the sentiments expressed by James, during a broadcast on TNT on May 22.

“You women are all petty, man,” Barkley said. “You should all thank (Caitlin Clark) for giving you private (expletive) charters. All the money and exposure it brings to the WNBA.

Reese, intentionally or not, shines a light on the narrative surrounding Clark’s impact on the WNBA. Their first matchup as WNBA players will be June 1 in Indiana.

Colin Loring covers the NBA, WNBA and MLB for Heavy.com, where he has contributed since 2021. His sports coverage has also been featured on FanSided, Elite Sports NY and The Strickland. Learn more about Collin Loring