Angel Reese felt good about herself in the first quarter of Sunday’s WNBA game between the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, hitting NaLyssa Smith with some first-quarter trash talk after scoring past the Fever player.

Reese appeared to shout, “Don’t —- with me” following her basket through contact from Smith. Reese has been playing at a high level of late, entering Sunday on the back of a career-best outing against the Dallas Wings.

The rookie attributes her fearless trash-talking to her Baltimore roots. Earlier this year, her former high school coach Nyke Burrell told ESPN that Reese’s fiery demeanor, which has contributed to her being a polarizing figure, comes from her upbringing in Baltimore.

“If you aren’t talking trash, they take advantage of you,” Burrell said. “They size you up. You’re not really gritty. You’re backing down if you don’t talk back. It’s a cultural thing here in Baltimore.”

The Sky, coached by intense former player Teresa Weatherspoon, have told Reese to never hold back in the WNBA. She appreciates the freedom to be herself. Her approach to basketball – and that of similar-minded guard Chennedy Carter – has led to some hot-blooded moments with Caitlin Clark and the Fever, who they’ve faced three times in quick succession.

But Chicago’s locker room has backed Reese throughout her debut campaign. “Number one, her confidence coming in, she was really passionate and does all the little things first, so when the scoring and the rebounding and the assisting come, it’s natural,” said teammate Marina Mabrey of Reese this past week. “She’s always in there, she’s in the right positions, she keeps going, she doesn’t stop fighting.”

Angel Reese has taken major strides in June and nearly posted a double-double in the first half alone against the Indiana Fever on Sunday. ( 
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Reese is currently in line to make the 2024 All-Star team after the first round of fan voting, in a development that underlines her instant WNBA popularity.

In Sunday’s contest, Chicago entered halftime down 46-45, with the teams combining for eight lead changes and seven ties in the opening 20 minutes.

Reese, the all-time WNBA record holder in consecutive double-doubles for a rookie, record eight points and eight rebounds before the break. Carter posted 15 points on 6-of-8 shooting in that span.

The Sky have put together many eye-popping stretches in which they look like a contender in 2024. Stringing together high-quality play for entire games, let alone multiple games, has been more challenging.

They came into Sunday’s nationally televised matchup with a 5-9 record but showed their potential with an impressive early-season road victory over the New York Liberty.