Angel Reese is coming off a spectacular rookie season with the Chicago Sky, but she is always looking to improve her game. On her podcast, "Unapologetically Angel," Reese turned to Miami Heat legend Dwyane Wade for advice.
On Thursday, the WNBA announced that Reese finished second to Caitlin Clark in Rookie of the Year voting, garnering the lone non-Clark vote. After leading the league with 13.1 rebounds per game, Reese turned to Wade for tips on how to reach the next level.
Wade laid out a blueprint for Reese that looks similar to the one three-time WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson has followed in her career, and it starts with adding more tools in the post.
"You get the ball in the mid-post, you faced up, you turned around and you hit that little jumper," Wade said. "We see how cold A'ja Wilson is, and a lot of it is she gets that ball, she faces you up and you're at her mercy. She can pop. She can shoot it right in front. She's got a beautiful stroke. She can go both ways, and she's tough."
Wade said he "saw moments" of Reese doing those things in 2023-23. Now, it's just a matter of enhancing those skills and getting more consistent.
"For me, I think it's the same evolution for you is being able to get that rock and extend your game," Wade said. "I know you hit some threes this year. You have it. Now it's about working on it and being consistent with it. Then you got to go out there in a game and trust it."
In her first 34 WNBA games, Reese showed why she was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2024 draft. She averaged 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. We'll see whether she can take Wade's advice and take things up a notch in her sophomore season.