Let’s be real for a second. If you’ve spent more than five minutes on sports Twitter (or X, whatever) lately, you’ve seen the clips. You know the ones. Angel Reese grabs an offensive board, goes up strong, the ball rolls off the rim, she grabs it again, goes up again, and maybe—just maybe—it falls on the third try. Or it doesn't.
It’s became a whole thing. People have even coined a term for it: "mebounds."
The narrative is everywhere. Some fans claim she’s "stat-padding" her rebounding numbers by missing on purpose. Others say she’s just fundamentally broken as a scorer. But when you actually strip away the viral 15-second clips and look at the 2024 and 2025 WNBA seasons, the reality is a lot more nuanced than a meme.
Why Angel Reese missing layups is the WNBA's biggest talking point
Basically, the "Bayou Barbie" has a finishing problem that is statistically impossible to ignore. In her 2024 rookie season, Reese shot a rough 39.1% from the field. For a 6'3" forward who lives in the paint, that's low. Honestly, it’s historically low.
Most elite bigs in the WNBA, like A’ja Wilson or Aliyah Boston, hover well above 50% because their shots are right at the cup. Reese, however, struggled mightily with her touch. According to data from her rookie year, she shot around 43.8% on shots within five feet of the basket. To put that in perspective, the league average for shots that close is usually closer to 60%.
It’s a weird paradox. You’ve got a player who is arguably the most dominant rebounder the league has ever seen—shattering records left and right—yet she struggles with the most "basic" shot in basketball.
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Breaking down the "Mebound" myth
Is she missing on purpose? No. Let's kill that narrative right now.
In professional basketball, nobody is intentionally tanking their field goal percentage to grab an extra board. The Chicago Sky's offense was often stagnant in 2024, and Reese was frequently forced to create something out of nothing late in the shot clock.
A study of self-rebound data showed that while Reese leads the league in "self-rebounds" (grabbing her own misses), she still leads the league in rebounding even if you take those away. She isn't a product of her misses; she's a high-motor player who happens to miss a lot.
The "mebound" phenomenon is really just a symptom of two things:
- Her incredible ability to track the ball's flight.
- A lack of vertical "pop" or explosiveness that allows defenders to stay in her jersey.
The technical side of the struggle
If you watch the film, the issue isn't effort. It's mechanics. Experts often point out that Reese shoots "from her hip." Instead of keeping the ball high where defenders can't reach it, she often brings it down after a rebound, which gives smaller guards a chance to poke it away or disrupt her rhythm.
She also lacks what scouts call "second-jump ability." She's fast, but she doesn't always get great lift off the floor. This means she's often putting the ball up while drifting or under heavy contact, leading to those "soft" misses that roll around the rim.
During a viral stretch against the New York Liberty in May 2025, Reese famously missed four shots in a single 19-second sequence. She grabbed five offensive boards in that span. It was the "Angel Reese Experience" condensed into 20 seconds: pure, unadulterated hustle mixed with a frustrating lack of touch.
The 2025 turnaround: Is the layup problem fixed?
Here is the part the haters usually skip. Reese actually got better.
In the early months of the 2025 season, the shooting woes persisted, with her field goal percentage dipping into the low 30s at one point. But by July 2025, something clicked. She went on a tear where she didn't shoot worse than 43% for eight straight games.
- May 2025: Shot roughly 31.8% in the restricted area.
- July 2025: Significant improvement, hitting over 45% in several contests.
- Overall 2025 Stats: Finished the season at 45.8% FG—a massive jump from her rookie year.
She started using the glass more effectively. She stopped rushing the "putback" and started taking a beat to gather her feet. It turns out that being 23 years old means you actually have room to grow. Who knew?
Historical context: She’s not alone
It’s easy to forget that some of the best players in the league struggled to finish as rookies.
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- Kelsey Mitchell shot 41.1% at the rim her first year.
- Kelsey Plum was at 42.1%.
- Jackie Young was a measly 33.7% at the rim as a rookie.
All three became All-Stars and efficient scorers. The jump from college to the WNBA is massive. In the SEC, Reese could out-athlete everyone. In the W, she’s going up against Jonquel Jones and Brittney Griner. You can't just "be taller" anymore. You have to be technical.
What this means for the Chicago Sky
The Sky’s ceiling is directly tied to Reese’s efficiency. When she’s hitting 50% of her interior looks, Chicago is a playoff threat. When she’s struggling, the floor shrinks because defenders don't feel the need to respect her scoring as much as her rebounding.
She has already added a semi-reliable midrange jumper and even started taking (and making) the occasional three-pointer in late 2025. This forces defenders to play her "honest," which theoretically should give her more space to finish those layups.
Actionable insights for fans and analysts
If you’re watching Angel Reese this season, stop looking at just the box score. Watch the process. Here’s what actually matters for her development:
- The "Gather" Height: Watch if she keeps the ball above her chin after an offensive rebound. If she brings it to her waist, a miss or a block is likely coming.
- Footwork in Traffic: Look for the "pro hop" or a power move to the middle. When she settles for a fadeaway layup or a "scoop" shot, her percentages drop.
- The Whistle: Reese is excellent at drawing fouls. Sometimes a "missed layup" is actually a calculated move to get to the free-throw line, where she shoots a respectable 75%.
Angel Reese is a polarizing figure, but the data suggests the "missing layups" narrative is a story of a young player learning on the job. She’s already a double-double machine. If she ever truly masters the art of the "bunny," the rest of the league is in serious trouble.
To see the real progress, track her Field Goal Percentage (FG%) specifically in the restricted area over 5-game rolling averages rather than season totals. This reveals her growth spurts more clearly than a static career average. Keep an eye on her "And-1" frequency; as her strength increases, those missed layups will naturally convert into three-point plays.