Rebounding the basketball is just like the thankless job of a goalkeeper in soccer. No common fan notices you unless you make a mistake. Granted, rebounding is not as flashy as scoring tonnes of points or even dishing out assists. However, with changing times and some clever marketing, people are starting to notice the players who rebound as well. A big part of this new attention is, of course, Angel Reese and her ‘mebounds’ line.
“Whoever came up with the ‘mebounds’ thing, y’all ate that up because ‘mebounds,’ rebounds, ‘crebounds’ … anything that comes off that board, it’s mine.” After being trolled mercilessly for weeks, Angel Reese said this before pulling off a genius move. She trademarked ‘mebounds’ and launched merchandise with the same name, and the Angel Reese 1’s are coming soon with a mebounds colourway. In just a couple of months, this has turned into a pretty successful six-figure business. This shows that this new generation of WNBA players is not fazed by online trolling and bullying. Rather, they’re smart enough it embrace that and even use it to their advantage.
However, the analysts or religious followers of sports didn’t need any merch to know the importance of rebounding. Speaking on the We Need To Talk podcast, WNVA reporter Erica Ayala stressed the importance of Angel Reese and her ‘mebounds’. While discussing how the Chicago Sky should go about the rest of their season, she stressed the importance of the team missing a player like Angel Reese.
She said, “This is a roster that has dealt with injury and it’s difficult when you have the player of the caliber of Angel Reese sitting out. We know what she’s been able to do when it comes to rebounding. And rebounding is a huge part of the game. I think if you look at teams that have struggled, whether they’re at the top of the standings, in the middle, or towards the bottom, teams that are not effectively and efficiently rebounding night in and night out, your’re not winning games in the WNBA.”
Angel Reese has had a dominant sophomore year. After struggling through the initial jitters, this season has been one to remember for the Bayou Barbie. However, for the last couple of weeks, Reese has been out with a back injury. Until the injury, Reese was averaging 14.2 points and 12.6 rebounds per game. Her rebounds were the main reason for the Chicago Sky being one of the best rebounding teams in the league (2nd best). However, despite this and Angel Reese’s incredible season, the Sky are virtually out of the playoff race. But this could turn into a blessing in disguise.
With just 12 games remaining, the Chicago Sky should be all about youth development. The Chicago Sky have an exciting core. With Angel Reese leading the pack and young talents such as Hailey Van Lith and Kamila Cardoso, this team still has a lot of years left in its legs. However, before they can think of competing, they need to develop that raw talent into a finished product. 2025 rookies Hailey Van Lith and Maddy Westbeld have struggled to find their roles till now. At least until Angel Reese is ready for her return, the reins of the team should be handed to the rookies.
Angel Reese Making Progress, But Not Yet Practicing With Team
Angel Reese’s WNBA return status has been up in the air for a while now. What seemed like a minor niggle has now kept her out of action for six consecutive games. This absence has been a massive blow to Chicago Sky fans who were wishing to see Angel Reese break her own record of most double-doubles in a row.
However, according to the recent updates from head coach Tyler Marsh, Angel Reese has yet to practice with her teammates. When asked about Angel Reese’s status, he said, “She’s been progressing each day, doing more and more on-court stuff. So I don’t think we’re too far away, but she’s progressing very well. She has not practiced with us yet. But she’s present, she’s doing workouts and stuff like that.”
Though Coach Marsh’s statements may indicate that Angel Reese could be back soon, there are still some steps to go in recovery. Traditionally, practicing with teammates is the final step in recovery. So, as long as she has yet to do that, we can assume that there is still time for her comeback.
However, another question that is being raised is whether the Chicago Sky should bring her back this season. With little to no prospect of making it any further than the regular season, there is no need to rush her. We have already seen how rushing from an injury has affected her biggest rival, Caitlin Clark. If there are any doubts, the team should just shut Angel Reese down for the season and focus on making some noise the next campaign.
The post Angel Reese’s ‘Mebounds’ Hold Greater WNBA Value, Claims Reporter, With Sky’s Final 12 Games Posing Big Test appeared first on EssentiallySports.