Angel Reese turned mockery into fuel and now has a new record
Atlanta Dream’s star broke two rebounding records in a single night, while answering on the court those who for months questioned her style of play and even labeled her rebounds as “mebounds.”
A ngel Reese is going through the best moment of her career just when the noise surrounding her figure seemed hardest to ignore. The Atlanta Dream player has just set two WNBA rebounding records in a single night and is turning the criticism she received for months into one of the main sources of motivation behind her transformation.
On Monday, against the Los Angeles Sparks , Reese grabbed 26 rebounds in Atlanta's 78-71 victory. The total not only surpassed the record of 24 that Chamique Holdscla w had set in 2003, but it also brought Reese to 458 rebounds on the season, seven more than the previous record held by A"ja Wilson.
The word that was born as mockery and ended up working in her favor
For months, some social media users accused Reese of chasing rebounds to pad her stats, especially after misses near the rim. That is how the term “mebounds” emerged, a derogatory way of referring to the rebounds she supposedly grabbed after her own missed shots.
But Reese decided to turn the situation around. The player even applied to register “mebounds” to turn it into a brand and floated the idea of using it on products whose profits would be intended to combat cyberbullying. Instead of trying to silence her critics, she found a way to turn their own mockery into part of her narrative.
From criticism to records
What stands out most is that her response is not being limited to social media. In recent weeks, Reese has shown clear progress in her game. Before her record-setting night, she had posted 31 points and 14 rebounds against Phoenix and had also delivered a perfect game in which she made all nine of her field goal attempts against Los Angeles.
Her production this season reflects that growth: she is setting personal highs in scoring and minutes, while increasing her confidence to handle the ball, shoot from outside, and contest shots. Atlanta coach Karl Smesko emphasized that the player has been improving practically month by month.
And there is still room for her record to become even harder to reach. Reese reached 458 rebounds with six regular-season games still left to play. In addition, her 27 double-doubles left her just one shy of Alyssa Thomas's single-season record.
The transformation also has a personal component. Reese has endured constant criticism, racist and sexist attacks, and enormous pressure since her college days, when her rivalry with Caitlin Clark became one of the biggest focal points in women’s basketball. Now, while detractors keep looking for her mistakes, her numbers tell another story: Angel is no longer just surviving the noise; she is using that noise as fuel to become one of the most decisive figures in the WNBA.
