Liberty Standout Sends Strong Message on 'Very Aggressive' Angel Reese
The Chicago Sky have not had the 2025 WNBA season that they were hoping for.
When Chicago's front office traded the No. 3 pick of the 2025 WNBA Draft (along with a 2027 first-round pick swap and a 2027 second-round pick) to the Washington Mystics in exchange for Ariel Atkina, it signalled that this team was trying to go all-in on winning this season.
This decision raised eyebrows as soon as it happened, given that, even with Atkins, many around the league didn't think Chicago's roster was nearly talented enough to compete for a WNBA championship.
And that trade has since aged like milk. Not only has Atkins not lived up to expectations this season and missed time with an injury, but the Mystics used that No. 3 pick in the 2025 WNBA Draft to select Sonia Citron, who was an All-Star this season and has cemented herself as one of the best guards in the league.
However, if there has been one bright spot for Chicago this season, it has been All-Star forward Angel Reese.
New York Liberty's Emma Meesseman Heaps Praise Upon Angel Reese
After a rough start to her second WNBA season, Reese has ultimately improved upon her record-breaking rookie campaign. Not only is she still the league's best rebounder, but she has improved leaps and bounds with her playmaking for teammates, defense, and field goal percentage.
Not to mention the intangible assets she brings to the Sky, such as her intensity and energy on both else of the floor. This is something the Liberty's newly-signed European star Emma Meesseman pointed out about the 23-year-old during her appearance on an August 21 episode of the Good Follow show.
"I think she's a very aggressive player, and fighting for every single thing," Meesseman said of Reese on the show. "I think that's a talent, too. That it's almost given. You can practice that, of course, and it's a state of mind. But she's actually going for every single thing, no matter what the situation is. So I have a lot of respect for that.
"Having seen the game from outside, since she came in the league, I think she has to be a very strong person, to be able to handle every single thing," Meesseman continued of Reese. "I don't know if I would be able to, at that age, be able to withstand all that hate, almost. Negative comments. So the fact that she's still here, like for the love of the game, and everything, it says a lot about her."
“I don’t know if I would be able to, at that age, withstand all that hate… so the fact that she’s still here just for the love of the game... says a lot.”
— Good Follow (@GoodFollowShow) August 21, 2025
Emma Meesseman gives Angel Reese her flowers - an exclusive from @rosgo21 at the Liberty shootaround ahead of @chicagosky… pic.twitter.com/Dy3RpHzWKu
It's cool to hear a respected international star like Meesseman give Reese her flowers in this way.
Recommended Reading:
Grant Young covers Women’s Basketball, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco (USF), where he also graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and played on USF’s Division I baseball team for five years. However, he now prefers Angel Reese to Angels in the Outfield.
Follow GrvntYoung