Angel Reese came into the WNBA as an established star from her time with the LSU Tigers at the collegiate level. Many fans thought Reese could come into the league as a top-10 pick and immediately make her mark on a WNBA franchise.

While she’s had a quality rookie season, averaging nearly a double-double (11.6 points and 9.6 rebounds), there also have been some rocky moments.

Reese has been involved in physical altercations with Alyssa Thomas and Jonquel Jones. These veterans may have just been playing physical that day, but it was likely to rattle the rookie.

Based on her college days and short stint in the league, it’s clear it’s not possible to get Reese out of her game. Despite that, she recently spoke on her “Welcome to the league moment,” which happened in her very first game against the Minnesota Lynx.

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) shoots a free throw against the New York Liberty during the second half of a WNBA game at Wintrust Arena.

Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

‘I think I’ve had a lot of ‘Welcome to the WNBA’ moments. I’ve guarded usually the best player on the other team every game, so I think my first game was against Minnesota, and I played Napheesa (Collier), and of course, she’s a great player, and I was getting cooked the first game, I’m not going to lie,” said Reese via CBS Sports on X.

Reese was facing a member of the recently announced Team USA roster. She’s already gotten the chance to go head-to-head with superstars such as Collier, Breanna Stewart and Tina Charles.

The Sky may be 4-6, but Reese has been a bright spot, and moments like this against some of the best women’s basketball players in the world will make her better.

Angel Reese on her first welcome to the WNBA moment:

"I got cooked the first game for sure" 😂 @chicagosky pic.twitter.com/U8h5Jv29rT

— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) June 12, 2024