Angel Reese, star forward for the Chicago Sky, is making waves in the WNBA—but she’s quick to credit one person for helping shape her journey: LSU head coach Kim Mulkey. Known as the “Bayou Barbie” during her time in Baton Rouge, Reese recently opened up about how Mulkey’s tough coaching style prepared her both mentally and physically for the challenges of professional basketball.
Speaking with CBS Sports’ Jack Maloney, Reese reflected on her transformative years at LSU, where she became a two-time First-team All-American, won SEC Player of the Year in 2024, and led the Tigers to a national championship, earning Most Outstanding Player honors for the tournament.
Now thriving in the WNBA after being selected as the No. 7 overall pick by the Sky, Reese shared how intense practices under Mulkey laid the foundation for her breakout rookie season.
“She (Mulkey) prepared me for the WNBA. I think mentally, physically for sure — practices were very long and it was easy for me to do training camp. There’s not really anything anybody can say to me as a coaching staff that can break me, or tell me anything that I don’t know about myself, or say things that get me going because I went through Kim Mulkey.“
She admitted the process wasn’t always easy.
“In the moment I hated it. I’m not gonna lie, I hated it and I dreaded it and I didn’t like it. But when I left I’m like, I was really thankful for that. It didn’t make sense in the moment but now it all makes sense. Like why I was able to be so dominant in my rookie year was because I was able to go so hard every day. I had no excuses. She didn’t let you come into practice and B.S. Every day was hard work. So I think that’s something I always give kudos to. That’s why she has a lot of players in the W.“
With Reese now anchoring a promising Chicago Sky frontcourt alongside fellow standout Kamilla Cardoso, the franchise is poised for a resurgence. The team made bold offseason moves, eyeing a strong playoff push in 2025, and Reese is expected to build on her All-Star caliber 2024 season.
As she continues her rise, one thing is clear—Kim Mulkey’s tough love is paying off, and Angel Reese is ready to lead the next era of WNBA greatness.
