UNCASVILLE, Conn. — In one of Sky star Angel Reese’s first pro games, Tina Charles pulled her aside and offered advice that many young players need to hear: Take your time around the rim. Don’t rush your shot.
For a rookie still finding her footing in the pros, that kind of attention from a former MVP can go a long way. But Charles was just paying it forward.
“When I came into the league, [all-time great] Sylvia Fowles was giving me knowledge of the game — like literally during the game,” Charles told the Sun-Times before Sunday’s matchup. “It’s better to just keep passing it on because we want the league to be great.”
Charles and Reese continued their dialogue throughout Sunday’s game in Connecticut. And when play heated up in the third quarter, the two got in each other’s faces.
It started with Sun veteran Bria Hartley pulling Reese’s braid on a rebound. Reese didn’t like it and shoved off an intervening Sun player. Charles didn’t like that either.
Suddenly, Reese and Charles were shouting at one another and had to be separated by officials. A few minutes after being issued technical fouls, though, they were chatting again on the block.
“[Charles] was like, ‘You know I got to do that. I gotta stick up for my team,’” Reese said postgame. “It’s great having a vet that really wants to talk to you and make sure you want to get better.”
It’s worth noting that the moment played out similarly to the now-infamous Caitlin Clark flagrant on Reese in May — hard contact, a strong reaction and confrontation between two big personalities. The difference? No three-day news cycle or social media meltdown to follow.
How refreshing to let basketball players get heated without all that.
But back to Reese and Charles.
Charles isn’t just a good role model — she’s one of the best to ever do it. Drafted No. 1 overall in 2010, Charles won three Olympic gold medals and is the league’s second all-time leading scorer. She can score on the block, with a smooth fadeaway, and will launch confidently from deep.
Reese is working to expand her game in that direction. For her, it’s not just about scoring, it’s also about playmaking. But after a historic rookie season, her sophomore campaign hasn’t gone as planned. She’s still adjusting to head coach Tyler Marsh’s more versatile vision for her.
“My [college] coach Bob Starkey texted me the other day and was like, ‘The best players have always struggled with a crazy season in their first couple of years,’” Reese said. “It’s going to take time for us to get better.”
There are already signs of growth. She recorded her first triple-double in a win over Charles’ team, finishing with 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists — the exact type of facilitator Marsh has been looking for.
“She has potential to be great,” Charles said. “I know she wants to be.”
Charles has been around the league long enough — 15 years — to know greatness when she sees it. Does she see any of herself in Reese?
“When I was that young and agile and I still had my athleticism, I was attacking the boards the same way that she is,” Charles said.
Charles once held the rookie record for double-doubles with 22. Reese broke it last year with 26. And she’s leading the league in rebounding again.
Through all the messy growth, that part hasn’t changed.
Through her relationship with Charles, Reese is figuring out what it takes to be great in this league: facing up to veterans, absorbing their knowledge, and answering with a triple double when the moment calls.
