On May 10th, the Minnesota Lynx delivered a loud, unambiguous message to Angel Reese and the Chicago Sky: social media clout and double-double streaks mean nothing when you run into a team that’s built to win. In a game that was supposed to be a coming-out party for the self-proclaimed “rebounding machine,” Reese was systematically dismantled by Nafisa Collier and a Lynx squad that left no room for highlight-chasing or stat-padding.

A Humbling Night for Reese

Nafisa Collier, the Lynx’s MVP candidate, was relentless from the opening tip. She scored 26 points on a hyper-efficient 8-of-13 shooting in just under 26 minutes, adding five rebounds, a steal, and a block for good measure. Meanwhile, Angel Reese struggled to find her footing, finishing with just 10 points, three rebounds, and six assists in 25 minutes. For a player who built her reputation on cleaning the glass, three rebounds was a shocking stat line—a far cry from the double-doubles that made her a household name at LSU.

The game footage tells the story. Collier established position early, boxing Reese out and denying her the easy putbacks she thrived on in college. Whenever Reese tried to carve out space in the paint, Collier’s defensive IQ and footwork forced her into off-balance shots or out of the play entirely. The Lynx’s help defense was equally suffocating, swarming Reese and forcing her to settle for tough looks or awkward passes.

From Social Media Hype to Basketball Reality

Before the game, Reese exuded confidence, posting on social media about her readiness to dominate. She’s never been shy about her self-promotion, famously telling reporters, “People watch women’s basketball because of me.” But on this night, the spotlight was harsh and unforgiving. Reese shot just 2-of-8 from the field and missed her only three-point attempt. Her only real production came at the free throw line, where she converted six of eight.

The Lynx exposed a hard truth: when Reese can’t feast on offensive rebounds and second-chance points, her impact drops dramatically. Without those easy buckets, her offensive game looked ordinary—just another forward struggling to create against elite defenders.

Attendance Tells a Different Story

Reese’s claims about her drawing power are also being put to the test. Her highly anticipated homecoming game at LSU drew just 6,300 fans in a 13,000-seat arena—less than half capacity. In Chicago, the Sky’s home preseason game attracted only 4,600 fans, a paltry number for a major market. Even when the Sky traveled to Minnesota for this much-hyped matchup, attendance topped out at 7,600.

The contrast with Caitlin Clark is impossible to ignore. Clark’s preseason game in Iowa sold out in 27 minutes, and her televised matchups have pulled in over a million viewers—higher than almost any NBA preseason game in the last decade. The WNBA is literally moving Clark’s games to larger arenas to accommodate the demand. Meanwhile, Reese’s games struggle to fill even half the seats.

This is the difference between social media fame and real marketability. Reese may have millions of followers and a knack for going viral, but that hasn’t translated to ticket sales or packed arenas.

Stat-Padding and Team Chemistry

If the empty seats aren’t enough evidence, last season’s Sky locker room drama paints an even bleaker picture. Despite Reese’s gaudy rebounding numbers, the Sky finished 13-27, missed the playoffs, and fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after just one season. The ball movement was stagnant, players appeared more interested in individual stats than team success, and the team’s leading scorer was traded away midseason.

Multiple sources cited a culture that prioritized individual development over winning. Reese’s penchant for chasing double-doubles—sometimes staying on the floor against backups late in blowouts—became a symbol of the team’s misplaced priorities. When Weatherspoon was let go, Reese tweeted, “I came to Chicago because of you,” highlighting a relationship that may have been too close for the team’s own good.

A New Challenge, A New Coach, and the Road Ahead

New Sky head coach Tyler Marsh is already making adjustments. Rather than stationing Reese under the basket, he’s moving her away from the rim, hoping to develop her perimeter game and make her less predictable. Reese herself has admitted she can’t be the same player as last year and has been working on expanding her shooting range.

But it’s clear that the WNBA is a different world. Physicality, positioning, and basketball IQ matter more than raw athleticism or social media bravado. The Lynx provided a blueprint for how to neutralize Reese: take away her rebounding, force her to create her own offense, and watch her efficiency plummet.

A Crossroads for Angel Reese

The Sky have added veterans like Courtney Vandersloot and Ariel Atkins in hopes of building a more cohesive, team-oriented attack. If Reese can adapt—embracing ball movement, improving her shooting, and focusing on team wins—she could become the star she claims to be. If not, the gap between her and players like Clark and Collier will only widen.

The season opener against Clark’s Indiana Fever promises to be a referendum on both players’ approaches. Clark’s team-first mentality and undeniable drawing power have already changed the league. For Reese, the question is whether she can move beyond personal stats and become a true difference-maker on the court and at the box office.

The WNBA is unforgiving to players who can’t adapt. For Angel Reese, the time for talk is over. Now, she has to prove it where it matters most: on the court, and in the win column.