Angel Reese rebounding controversy: The proof that Sky rookie isn't stat-padding and is WNBA's best rebounder

Stephen Noh

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Angel Reese rebounding controversy: The proof that Sky rookie isn't stat-padding and is WNBA's best rebounder image

Angel Reese is the best offensive rebounder in the country, and it's not close.

The Sky rookie's 4.9 offensive rebounds per game leads the WNBA by a wide margin. Teammate Kamilla Cardoso sits in second place, at 3.5 per game. That 3.5 mark is the same that Teaira McCowan led the league with last season.

Reese is on pace for 196 offensive rebounds this year. That would smash through the single-season record of 162 set by Yolanda Griffith in 2001.

Instead of getting praise for an elite skill, Reese's rebounding has oddly been used as a criticism against her by many of her haters. A screenshot of an obviously doctored box score in which Reese grabbed five offensive rebounds off her own missed had received over 62,000 likes on X over the July 4th weekend.

Reese has been virally mocked on TikTok for her penchant for grabbing her own misses. Any sort of celebration of her stats will be filled with replies about how her rebounds shouldn't count. 

Reese's record-setting double-double streak is often misattributed to these self-created offensive rebounds. But the numbers tell a much different story.

I counted every single offensive rebound that Reese has gotten in her rookie year. Here's the real truth behind how elite of an offensive rebounder she is. 

MORE: 'Big Bang Theory' mishap creates awkward moment between Angel Reese and reporter

Debunking the Angel Reese stat-padding narrative

There is some validity to the criticisms of Reese's game. She does miss a lot of shots — she's shot just 41.8 percent from the field through July 9. She also rebounds a lot of her own misses.

But here's the important nuance that her critics are missing: even if you subtract all of the rebounds that she got from herself, she would still be leading the WNBA in offensive rebounding.

Reese is good at rebounding her own misses because she's good at rebounding everybody's misses. It doesn't matter who is shooting it or where the shot is coming from. If you had to pick one player most likely to grab a rebound, the best choice would be Reese by a mile. 

The other odd criticism leveled against Reese is that it is a bad thing that she is rebounding her own misses. It's very normal for basketball players to chase their own misses, particularly with forwards and centers who play close to the rim.

Looking at the NBA as a point of comparison, Reese rebounds her own misses less often than last year's offensive rebounding leader Clint Capela. Her percentage of rebounds coming from misses that are off unblocked shots (classified as z-bounds on the tracking site PBP Stats) is pretty much in line with other top rebounders in the NBA. 

Nobody accuses Capela, Nikola Jokic or any of the other great offensive rebounders throughout any basketball league of stat padding. But Reese is judged by a different standard. 

Reese is a historically talented offensive rebounder, full stop. That she's doing all of this as a rookie makes the feat even more impressive. She's well-deserving of her first All-Star selection. Don't let her haters tell you any differently. 

Stephen Noh

Stephen Noh Photo

Stephen Noh started writing about the NBA as one of the first members of The Athletic in 2016. He covered the Chicago Bulls, both through big outlets and independent newsletters, for six years before joining The Sporting News in 2022. Stephen is also an avid poker player and wrote for PokerNews while covering the World Series of Poker from 2006-2008.