Sports
Angel Reese Declares for 2024 WNBA Draft; Won 2023 NCAA Title with LSU – Bleacher Report
LSU star Angel Reese removed any doubt regarding her status for next season and announced in an interview with Vogue that she’s entering the 2024 WNBA draft.
Exclusive: Angel Reese (<a href="https://twitter.com/Reese10Angel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@Reese10Angel</a>) is taking her talents to the WNBA! "I've done everything I wanted to in college," Reese said when sharing her plans to enter the WNBA draft with Vogue. See all of the details on the basketball star's next move here: <a href="https://t.co/oZWqwNsdeS">https://t.co/oZWqwNsdeS</a> <a href="https://t.co/tEqyj77z8j">pic.twitter.com/tEqyj77z8j</a>
The 6’3″ forward made a major breakthrough after transferring to the Tigers ahead of the 2022-23 season. She averaged 23.0 points and 15.4 rebounds and was named the Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA tournament as the program won its first national title.
Grateful for these last four years and excited for this next chapter. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BAYOUBARBIEOUT?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BAYOUBARBIEOUT</a> <a href="https://t.co/EvkzUW08JV">pic.twitter.com/EvkzUW08JV</a>
In the immediate aftermath of that triumph, Reese looked like a surefire lottery selection for 2024. As this year unfolded, however, her stock began to dip a bit compared to its apex last spring.
Reese’s production didn’t match that of her junior campaign. She averaged 18.6 points on 47.1 percent shooting along with 13.4 boards and 1.0 block.
LSU head coach Kim Mulkey strengthening her roster with Aneesah Morrow and Hailey Van Lith out of portal and getting one of the best players in the 2023 recruiting class (Mikaylah Williams) had something to do with that. Reese’s 26.9 percent usage rate was a personal low, per Her Hoop Stats.
More importantly, there continued to be some noticeable flaws in Reese’s game. She offers limiting scoring range, shooting 5-of-32 on threes for her career, at a time when WNBA teams are prizing floor-spacing more than ever. On defense, FanSided’s Ian Levy wrote how she’s “a strong defender” but “more of a disruptor than a pure rim-protecting anchor.”
Reese should have a high floor in the WNBA thanks to her elite rebounding and ability to score inside. The lack of evolution to her game made it tougher to argue she’s a foundational cornerstone, one warranting a top-four pick.
That raised the question of whether the Maryland native would return to college for one more year. She’s part of the last graduating class that received an additional year of eligibility amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
Reese leaned into the speculation in February on X:
"Should I stay, should I go? I don't know" 🥺💜💛 <a href="https://t.co/1zSvq9yr4V">https://t.co/1zSvq9yr4V</a>
Staying in Baton Rouge would’ve allowed her to continue refining her game, and her sizable off-court profile meant she wasn’t sacrificing much financially. On3 projects her to have the eighth-highest NIL valuation ($1.8 million) in all of college sports.
But Reese ultimately had little else to achieve at the team and individual level in college. Her status as a first-round draft pick is all but assured as well, and slipping out of the lottery could be a blessing in disguise because of the less pressure to perform that would come with it.
When it comes to draft night, Reese might be the biggest wild card on the board thanks to the wide variance with where she could realistically land.
