Two-time WNBA champion Lisa Leslie offered to help fix a particular aspect of Angel Reese’s game – the ever-challenging layup.
She offered the brutal assessment to her face. Leslie, appearing on Reese’s “Unapologetically Angel” podcast, said she would fix things.
“The biggest advice I have for you is going to be how you shoot your layups, period,” Leslie said. “Like, we’re gonna fix that. That’s fixable for you.”
Reese was so poor at shooting layups during her rookie season that fans started suspecting the misses were intentional to pad her rebounding stats.
And hey, there’s something to be said for brutal honesty.
Lisa Leslie gives Angel Reese advice ahead of her sophomore season:
— Angel And Kamilla👯♀️ (@AngelAndKamilla) February 13, 2025
“The biggest advice I have for you is going to be how you shoot your lay-ups. We’re going to fix that – it’s fixable for you. You’re going to get better, and I can help you get better.”#WNBA pic.twitter.com/cqapgte0MF
Angel Reese And The Dreaded Layup
Leslie, the eight-time WNBA All-Star, said that despite the mishaps with her layup game, she is impressed that Reese is always willing to work to improve her game.
“Just the idea that you want to get better, like I love that,” Leslie said. “For me to hear from you, and see that you’re like, ‘Yes, I want you to work with me, I want you to help me, I want to get better’ — that’s what it’s about.”
“The fact that you already have that attitude? You’re going to get better, and I can help you get better. I’m positive.”
And man, does she ever have to improve on the layups.
According to Outkick, her shooting percentage on such shots is a horrendous 42%. Caitlin Clark’s field goal percentage on layups, by comparison, was 63.1%.
The league’s lack of dunking leads to lower percentages. Reese is also three inches taller than Clark.
RELATED: Angel Reese Gets Heated With Fan Who Says She Can’t Even Make A Layup
Fans Noticed How Bad It Was
Chicago Sky star Angel Reese tangled with a random guy on X a few months ago after he pointed out that her field goal percentage on layups this past season was abysmal.
“U realize u can’t make a layup on the first try most times, right?” he asked.
Angel fired back and fired back hard.
do you realize I got drafted 7th in my class while “missing layups” as a ROOKIE shooting 39% on the year & was STILL a all star and that was the worst you’ll ever see me??? or you just laid up with your dog at home hating Adam?? https://t.co/QWRG3wAXoH
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) November 26, 2024
This past season, Reese’s two-point field goal percentage (39.1%) was well below the league average. To the point where fans accused her of padding her rebounding stats by missing easy shots, on purpose or otherwise.
In August, when she was actually shooting a lot better than the 39%, graphics posted to X still showed just how bad things were in comparison to the rest of the league.
Angel Reese is shooting 43.8% within 5 feet of the basket.
— BricksCenter (@BricksCenter) August 26, 2024
By FAR the worst percentage in the WNBA. pic.twitter.com/ts5QB2gX3b
Her offensive game was so dreadful that Barstool Sports owner and founder Dave Portnoy was moved to call her “a poor man’s Dennis Rodman.”
Can Lisa Leslie turn her into an offensive juggernaut instead?
More about:WNBA News