"Went through a storm": Angel Reese candidly opens up on haters after flipping the script on her season

Angel Reese led the Chicago Sky to a 92-85 win on Sunday against the LA Sparks. The 6-foot-3 forward filled up the stat sheet with 24 points, 16 rebounds, seven assists and two blocks. Reese went 10-for-19 (52.6%) and recorded her fourth straight double-double.

After the game, the Chi Barbie had this to say following another impressive uptick in efficiency and production (via Karli Bell):

Karli Bell

@KarliBell33

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"I went through a storm through the first 8 games where I couldn't finish and it was frustrating. But I trusted my work and my teammates trusted my work in finally coming through and coming through efficiently."

Angel Reese averaged 10.3 points, 12.1 rebounds and 2.6 assists in the first eight games of the season. She had her worst game of the season against the New York Liberty on March 22, finishing the game with 2 points, 12 rebounds and one assist. Reese went 0-for-8 and 2-for-6 from the free-throw line. Fans hounded her for her inefficient start.

Since then, she has steadily turned her game around. Over the past eight games, she has averaged 14.8 ppg, 13.0 rpg and 5.0 apg. Reese shot 49.1% during that stretch.

Reese’s turnaround has been quite impressive, considering the circumstances she has had to adapt to. The Chicago Sky lost floor general Courtney Vandersloot to a season-ending injury. 6-foot-7 center Kamilla Cardoso left the game due to her national team commitment.

Sky coach Tyler Marsh gave Reese a bigger and more diversified role on offense. He has allowed her to play point forward, which has given fans a glimpse of her basketball IQ and vision. Without Vandersloot and Cardoso, Reese has become even more invaluable with her improvements.

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Chicago Sky struggling despite Angel Reese’s impressive production and impact

In the first eight games in which Angel Reese struggled, the Chicago Sky went 2-6. The team’s only two wins came against the Dallas Wings, owners of the second-worst record in the WNBA.

In the next eight games where Reese has performed well, the Sky is 3-5. Chicago’s first win was against the Connecticut Sun, which has the worst record in the league. The next two wins came against the LA Sparks, which is just a slot behind the Sky in the standings.

Angel Reese has made significant strides, but her teammates must step up for the Sky to improve their record. Michaela Onyenwere, Rachel Banham, Rebecca Allen, Kia Nurse and rookie Hailey Van Lith have to step up.