Angel Reese Says She 'Wasn't Supposed to Be' in WNBA Rookie of the Year Race

Angel Reese credits her rebounding for being in the Rookie of the Year conversation.

Aug 25, 2024; Chicago, Illinois, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) is defended by Las Vegas Aces center A'ja Wilson (22) and guard Tiffany Hayes (15) during the first half at Wintrust Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports / Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Angel Reese came into Sunday's action with the WNBA lead in rebounds per game. By the time the day was over she had broken the record for rebounds in a single season and became just the fourth player in WNBA history to grab 400 rebounds in season.

Along with the two-time reigning WNBA MVP A'ja Wilson, she's one of only two players averaging double-digit rebounds this season. And at 12.9 per game, she's a full rebound a night ahead of Wilson with less than three weeks remaining in the season.

Reese's rebounding has been elite from the moment she was drafted, which why she's still in the Rookie of the Year conversation despite the fact that Caitlin Clark has lived up to her own immense hype.

Reese was asked about this on Sunday ahead of her record-breaking game against the Minnesota Lynx and explained that she's not even supposed to be a part of that conversation.

Shoutout to @Reese10Angel for the 1 on 1 interview. Talked to Angel about being the face of Reebok Basketball, Her Influence on the youth, and she kept it real about the Rookie of the Year debate. pic.twitter.com/Wx28OwByL6

— SneakerReporter (@SneakerReporter) September 1, 2024

"Coming into the league, obviously, I believed in myself and I trust in the process," said Reese. "A lot of people didn't think my game would translate so just coming in and trusting the process and believing in myself. I mean, I was pick seven. I'm not supposed to be in the rookie of the year conversations, but I am because of how hard I work. And not just offensively. On the defensive end and being able to rebound. Rebounding is something that you have to want to do. It's not something that's easy and I don't have anything in my life that's been easy for me. So I really enjoy doing it. I really enjoy doing things that other players don't want to do. So just being able to leave my impact on the game and doing something that'll be a representation of me for a long time in this league."

As the new record-holder she's made a mark on the league that will last a long time.