Angel Reese’s Diamond Boast Backfires as She Endures a Disastrous Unrivaled Return After 4-Month Hiatus

“Same old Angel…” wrote journalist Corey Clayton and her shooting woes sort of played out the same way. After Napheesa Collier’s Lunar Owls snagged a win over Breanna Stewart’s Mist on opening night, it was time for Vinyl and Rose. And obviously, Angel Reese, aka the “305 Barbie,” made her entrance at Wayfair Arena in Miami, turning heads as always. But while her outfit wowed, the performance that followed didn’t live up to the hype, leaving fans more than a little disappointed.

The Chicago Sky forward, had a promising start to her WNBA rookie season before a devastating wrist injury cut it short. In a game against the LA Sparks, she fractured her left wrist during a hard fall in the third quarter. After four months of rehab and recovery, fans were eager to see her back in action, this time with the Rose Basketball Club for Unrivaled.

She entered draped in Pucci, Chanel, Hermes, and dripping in diamonds. When asked about her look, 305 Barbie didn’t hold back as she flaunted, “I’m wearing Pucci, I’m wearing Chanel, I’m wearing Hermes, I’m wearing diamonds.”

However, later, the Friday night doubleheader pitted the Vinyl against the Rose, with Reese joining Chelsea Gray and Kahleah Copper in the starting lineup. The game kicked off with Reese scoring her first Unrivaled bucket—a smooth layup after a pump fake.

But from there, she struggled to find her rhythm, finishing with a team-high 12 rebounds but also racking up 5 turnovers, 4 fouls, shooting just 3-of-7 from the field (42%), and making no attempts from beyong the arc. By the fourth quarter, she found herself benched as the Rose attempted a late comeback, only to fall short in Elam Ending time.

Reese’s pregame fit may have had everyone talking, but the game sparked chatter for all the wrong reasons.

“That’s nice, how about you make an open layup though?” wrote one on X. Well, her layups have always been talking point. Angel Reese’s opponents quadruple-teamed her to stop her from recording more double-doubles in the W, and as a rookie, her ceiling is still sky-high. But, she does need to improve, and one of the areas she needs to focus on is her finishing at the basket.

Among the 171 players who’ve taken as many attempts at the rim since 2009, only four have a worse field goal percentage in that area than Reese. Another added, “Doing all that to shoot 2/10 from the field.” Considering her poor shooting record, it was almost a way of saying, “She won’t shoot well,” and while she didn’t shoot 2-of-10, that 3-of-7 performance didn’t impress many either.

“Can you focus on ball bro? You a ball player, this isn’t a good example for young girls who really love the sport. This shit is a fuckin’ circus.” The whole fashion-first persona surrounding Angel Reese has been at the forefront of the conversation, but despite the hate, she truly believes she can do both, rock the fashion world and ball out on the court.

Another user chimed in saying, “She is literally all about the show and clout 😂.” Sure, the off-court attention is undeniable, and she’s been training hard and working on her shooting, but that hasn’t always translated to her performances yet. But it could’ve just been a bad day, who knows? We might see her hitting some smooth shots next game.

“Off the court, she is a killer…It’s on the court that she gets overhyped lol. She’s good, BUT her hype matches A’ja Wilson’s talent lol, it makes no sense. She’s hard to watch on the court; it’s like watching 10-year-olds chunk up anything they touch lol 😂 shit hitting front rim,” a fifth penned.

USA Today via Reuters

Some fans agree that her off-court hype is worth it—after all, she made it to the cover of Vogue—but they also feel her game hasn’t really developed to the level of her hype. So, here’s to hoping that she’ll surprise her critics in tomorrow’s game against the Lunar Owls. Tune in at 3:00 PM ET on truTV!