Angel Reese gets emotional talking to the media. Courtesy of Chicago Sky
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00:00from you yet.
00:01Yeah.
00:02So can you just describe the reason for the tears?
00:06Well, we won today.
00:08We won today, but they just told me I'm an all-star.
00:12And, I mean, I'm just so happy.
00:17I know the work I put in.
00:19Coming into this league, so many people doubted me
00:21and didn't think my game would translate,
00:23and I wouldn't be the player that I was in college
00:26or better or would be worse.
00:28It wouldn't be where I am right now,
00:30but I trusted the process and I believed.
00:32And I'm thankful that I dropped to seven
00:35and was able to come to Chicago.
00:37And, like, it's just a blessing.
00:39I can't thank my teammates and my coaches enough
00:41for just believing in me and trusting me.
00:45I know all of them are going to come to Phoenix
00:47and support me, so I'm really happy right now.
00:50You've talked a lot about your journey with this game
00:55and all of these accomplishments you've made along the way.
00:58I'm curious, how old were you the first time
01:00you picked up a basketball,
01:02and were these dreams you had back then?
01:06Yeah, so I picked up a ball when I was four.
01:08My mom had me playing with my brother.
01:10My brother also plays basketball as well.
01:12My mom and dad both play basketball.
01:15Being an all-star was never really on my list.
01:17Of course, being a champion,
01:18I really don't write down individual accolades.
01:20I always write down what I want as a team
01:23and walking out of there,
01:24I always wanted to be a winner.
01:25In college, I wanted nothing but to win.
01:27And going to LSU and being able to win
01:29that national championship and then coming to Chicago
01:32and wanting to build this back up,
01:34it starts somewhere,
01:35and I have to kind of give myself some grace
01:37of what I'm doing as a rookie.
01:39But, yeah, being an all-star wasn't really on my list
01:43as a rookie.
01:45Even just playing,
01:47I didn't even know if I was going to start.
01:49Like, just being able to just take things day by day
01:52and just work, work, work,
01:53and have coaches that really believe in you,
01:55it's special.
01:57So, when you think about the last game
02:00of your college career,
02:02and you poured your heart out,
02:04you told how you felt.
02:05Yeah.
02:06But then, even though you hear about your,
02:08you know, the double-double streak and all that,
02:11yet still, when you hear this,
02:12was it just like, I can't believe it?
02:15Yeah, I mean, I'm still in shock about everything.
02:19It's like a new accomplishment every day for me,
02:22from breaking the double-double streak
02:25to winning a BET Awards back-to-back
02:28to now being able to be an all-star,
02:30getting a win tonight on the road.
02:32I mean, I'm just so blessed.
02:35I was telling my mom, like,
02:36my biggest accomplishment was just graduating college,
02:38and just telling her that, like,
02:40I'm just so happy I'm able to graduate.
02:42I was able to graduate college on time,
02:44and a lot of people doubted I was going to do that.
02:46I continue just to stay on my ground,
02:49being able to be me
02:50and have my people in my corner that just believe in me,
02:53and then I prove everybody else wrong.
02:54Did you ever have time to just sit back
02:57and think about everything that's going on since?
03:00No.
03:01My coach asked me today,
03:02did you celebrate your double-double streak?
03:04And I was like, I don't have time to celebrate.
03:06Like, I don't have time to sit there and just celebrate.
03:09You kind of saw my reaction
03:10when they told me I was Rookie of the Month.
03:12I'm like, I don't have time to celebrate.
03:14I got a game today.
03:15So I just live my life, I mean,
03:17as I just go day by day
03:19and just try to just be thankful
03:21and just know that this opportunity doesn't come often.