Angel Reese moment made her think she was 'hated' by WNBA veterans

Angel Reese has admitted she was scared for her WNBA welcoming from league veterans before she was drafted seventh overall to the Chicago Sky.

The 22-year-old entered the 2024 WNBA Draft off the back of a stellar college basketball career with the LSU Tigers. Reese helped the school claim a national championship in 2023, beating out rival Caitlin Clark and the Iowa Hawkeyes in a thriller.

"I was scared, and I'm not somebody to be scared, but I was just scared," Reese admitted on her " Unapologetically Angel " podcast. "I didn't think nobody was gonna like me because of everything coming in. I just thought I was just gonna be like, they were just gonna treat me like crap."

It was a hard foul by Alyssa Thomas on Reese that left the rookie with concerns. "When the whole situation with AT knocked me down, I was like, 'Oh yeah, they hate me here. They hate me here, it's gonna be hard for me. They don't like me, the vets don't like me.' And when I went to the draft, that kind of changed my perspective," she said.

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However, Reese's assumption couldn't have been further from the truth. A group of veterans met up with the rebound machine and eased her concerns. Reese highlighted Nneka Ogwumike, Satou Sabally, and Dearica Hamby.

"So when I went and met Nneka, I met Satou, who else did I meet there?" Reese continued. "I met a whole bunch of vets, and they made me, and Dearica, they made me feel really welcome.

"And I just was like, that's what changed my whole thing and made me feel really comfortable in this league. And maybe that's also kudos to why I'm playing. I play so comfortable because I felt comfortable in this league.

"The players made me feel comfortable, and as a rookie, I was just so scared of what everybody else thought of me and how they were gonna treat me, but I talked to so many other vets. I talked to different players on other teams and how much they love me and they respect me and knowing what I can do. So that was my whole thing coming in. I was just kind of scared. I was a little scared."

In her rookie campaign, like rival Clark, Reese has already shattered WNBA records before her season was ended with a hand injury. Reese holds the WNBA record for most rebounds in a single season with 418 rebounds. Reese also set the record for the most offensive rebounds in a season with 165.

She also became the fastest player in WNBA history to record 20 double-doubles, while also setting the record for most consecutive double-doubles with 15. Reese is also the only rookie to record at least 23 double-doubles, and the only WNBA player to record 20 or more rebounds in three consecutive games.