‘One of the best players in the league’: Angel Reese is ‘elite’ and ‘tough to replace,’ analyst says

Aug 3, 2026; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Atlanta Dream forward Angel Reese (5) is removed from a game against the Las Vegas Aces in the second quarter at State Farm Arena. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese had a rough game on Sunday night as she struggled to make shots efficiently, turned the ball over at a high rate, and ultimately missed an open layup that would have given her team the win. However, while these are areas she has struggled with throughout her career, one analyst seems to think her positives outweigh any negatives. Amidst Reese’s disappointing performance against the Indiana Fever on Sunday night, one analyst praised Reese, calling her “one of the best players in the league” and “tough to replace.” Reese’s Tough Game Reese did finish with a double-double on Sunday night, but it was certainly not her best performance as she struggled consistently on the offensive end. Despite her six assists and game-high 14 rebounds, Reese shot just 5-for-16 from the floor and 0-for-2 from three-point range while turning the ball over four times – an eye-popping number of turnovers for a post player. The most high-profile failure Reese came on the final play of regulation. After hauling in a rebound under the basket, Reese missed an open layup that would have given her team the win. Instead, the game went to overtime, where the Dream fell by a final score of 95-91. To make matters worse, a video surfaced showing Clark laughing at Reese’s misfortune after her missed layup. ‘One of the best players in the league’ While Reese did have a poor performance on Sunday night that mirrored her struggles since she made it to the league, hoops analyst Chris Nano of The Sports Blueprint argued that despite her struggles and the fact that she is a “polarizing figure,” her dominance in the paint makes Reese one of the WNBA’s top players. “Man, I know Angel Reese is a polarizing figure but what she brings to the floor is tough to replace. She’s one of the best rebounders in the league and her physicality down low is elite,” Nano wrote in a post on X. “She’s one of the best players in the league.” After receiving some pushback from fans, Nano doubled down on his stance. “I’ll gladly take a player averaging 15 & 12. Yes, she needs to work on her finishing around the rim and being more efficient but if she can just become average in that category, she’ll be alright,” Nano added. “There are very few bigs I’m taking over her currently.” The post ‘One of the best players in the league’: Angel Reese is ‘elite’ and ‘tough to replace,’ analyst says appeared first on The Comeback: Today’s Top Sports Stories & Reactions.