A'ja Wilson Forecasts Angel Reese's WNBA Future With Telling New Nickname
Anybody who watches a good deal of women's basketball can see the similarities between A'ja Wilson and Angel Reese's respective games.
Not only are they both tall and athletic, but both women are left-handed and rely on their rebounding prowess plus a plethora of paint moves to generate offense and score baskets. They're also each beasts on defense, especially when it comes to blocking.
Both women have also been integral to the recent growth of women's basketball; which is why it was fitting that both Reese and Wilson were featured in an October 17 article from The Wall Street Journal's Rachel Bachman about how the WNBA reached its current boom period.
In addition to the article, Wilson conducted a video interview with The Wall Street Journal where she was asked about playing against Reese.
"It has been super cool to play against her," Wilson said. "I've watched her throughout her collegiate career, even back in Maryland. My good friend actually was coaching her at that time, so that's how I honestly started to follow Angel. And I saw a little of myself in her.
"No matter what I do, I'm gonna make sure that I go all-out and give it 100%. And I saw that, just the motor [Reese] has, I was like 'Oh yeah, that is Young A'ja, 100%'," Wilson continued.
It's cool to hear Wilson call Reese 'Young A'ja', especially because it seems like Wilson believes Reese can continue to develop and perhaps reach her own MVP level in the future.
"But for her to want to, for all these years, still rebound the basketball, it's something that's really her, and true to her," Wilson added. "So I hope she never loses that."
A’ja called Angel “a young A’ja”😭😭😭🔥 pic.twitter.com/Fh93ECYDLS
— J_CLUTCH2 (@clutch2_j) October 17, 2024
Props to Wilson for giving Reese her flowers in this way.
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.