"Picked the wrong player to start a hate campaign against": Angel Reese fans on cloud nine as Sky star's metoric rise continues with phenomenal outing

This week, Angel Reese returned to the court following a back injury. While the Sky forward flirted with a double-double in her first game back, Reese managed to log a 21-point, 10-rebound double-double in Thursday's 91-85 win over the New York Liberty.

In addition to her double-double, Reese logged three assists and a steal, while shooting 6-9 from the floor. The game also notably snapped a five-game skid for the Sky, who had fallen to the Dream, Fever, Sun, Valkyries and Storm over two weeks.

On the heels of the performance, Angel Reese fans were quick to take to social media, reacting to the performance while condemning Reese's haters:

Plenty of other fans also weighed in on Reese's big comeback this week, and what it means for the Sky heading into the last nine games of the season.

Of course, despite Angel Reese returning to action, the Sky have already been eliminated from playoff contention. The team is sitting in 11th place in the WNBA, 8.5 games behind the eighth-place Seattle Storm.

Additionally, without owning their own draft pick this season, the Sky could have a tough time building around Reese this offseason without engaging in trade talks.

Angel Reese reflects on return from injury

While Angel Reese has been playing well since returning from injury, the Sky forward is still on a minutes restriction until she can finish ramping up and get back to 100%.

Following her first game back against the Seattle Storm earlier in the week, Reese weighed in on her return and the minutes restriction she's on while speaking to members of the press:

"I was trying to control what I can control tonight. I was only supposed to play 25 minutes, and that sucks. I'm not a player that wants to be on a restriction of any kind. But I did what I could do to try and help the team win."

Reese and the sky will now head back home to host the Connecticut Sun, whom they lost to on Aug. 13. The game will start a two-game home stretch that will see the team host the Las Vegas Aces on Monday, before then embarking on a two-game road trip to close out August.

With one more game against the Indiana Fever, three games against the Aces, and one final showdown against the Liberty, Sky fans seem to be in for some big games between now and the end of the season, even if a playoff push is out of the question.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Victor R. Lopez M.