Kim Mulkey praises Angel Reese at Sky preseason matchup at LSU: ‘What’s there to not like about Angel Reese?’

[ad_1] On Friday, Angel Reese returned to LSU for a long-awaited homecoming — and former head coach Kim Mulkey had some excessive reward.

The second-year ahead went again to Baton Rouge for the primary time since graduating as a part of a preseason matchup between the Chicago Sky and the Brazilian nationwide workforce. As Reese racked up 11 first-half factors, main a really dominant-looking Chicago previous Brazil, Mulkey spoke on the printed about her former ahead.

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"Angel simply has a persona. She simply attracts a number of consideration, and she or he's genuine, and she or he's a competitor. What's there to not like about Angel Reese if you're pulling for her and she or he's in your workforce?" Mulkey mentioned.

Specifically, Mulkey had reward for Reese's rebounding potential. The 22-year-old ahead led the WNBA in rebounds final yr, regardless of lacking the ultimate few weeks of the season with a wrist damage.

"Angel is conscious of the place the ball's coming off the rim. When her teammates shoot it, she is all the time positioning herself to do the offensive rebound," Mulkey mentioned.

The Tigers coach added that she had an opportunity to understand this high quality much more whereas watching Reese "as a fan."

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"I by no means get to see that in a recreation," Mulkey mentioned. "She did it (her) complete profession right here, however I by no means noticed that 'trigger I used to be wanting on the complete workforce, however she simply has a knack for locating the basketball."

Reese transferred to LSU after two seasons at Maryland, with Mulkey declaring that Reese was injured throughout her first yr with the Terrapins and did not get an opportunity to showcase her full potential there. However although Mulkey knew that she was proficient, she did not fairly notice that Reese was going to be, in her phrases, "a strolling double-double."

Mulkey, who has a popularity as an intense coach, was clear about how onerous she pushed Reese throughout her time with the Tigers.

"I feel that if you play this recreation, you play it onerous, and Angel performed onerous. There have been moments the place she would get drained and fatigued and I might push her to battle by way of that, and I am positive she did not like me many occasions, however that is okay, it isn't private," Mulkey mentioned. "I feel that for those who have a look at championship groups and coaches who coach championship groups, all of us type of have that kind of persona to push them just a bit bit additional than they suppose they will go."

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The sport additionally marked a homecoming for Sky rookie Hailey Van Lith, who spent one season at LSU earlier than transferring to TCU this previous season. Van Lith bought a giant cheer from the LSU residence crowd, regardless of her quick time with the Tigers.

Going ahead, Mulkey mentioned that she's excited to see what the second-year gamers like Reese and Caitlin Clark do after their massive rookie seasons.

"I feel if you're a rookie, you type of really feel your manner, and I feel the publicity that got here with Angel and Caitlin Clark is nice. Now, I feel as they evolve into leaders for his or her respective groups, you are gonna simply see higher basketball," Mulkey mentioned. "In order they turn out to be extra comfy, I feel you are simply gonna see them do some many great issues for the league ... They positive did convey rather a lot to the league simply in new followers from the faculty stage as a result of each performed at establishments that worth ladies's basketball."

The Sky have two extra preseason video games, each in opposition to the Minnesota Lynx, earlier than kicking off the common season in opposition to the Indiana Fever on Could 17.