Among the few rookies headed to Unrivaled, Angel Reese is one of the most exciting ones to look out for come January. While rival Caitlin Clark will almost certainly not appear for the tip-off in Miami, the Chicago Sky forward is looking forward to the 3×3 format. Having spoken before about wanting to work on her individual game away from the usual 5×5 format of the W, it seems like her new coach is ready to make his mentee work.

Set to be a part of the Rose Club, one of the six Unrivaled teams, Reese will be coached by Henry Nola. Having served as an assistant coach for the Los Angeles Sparks under Curt Miller, Henry is excited to have the LSU alum under his tutelage. Impressed by her rebounding records set this season, there is another strategy the coach is expecting the Sky forward to apply.

“With 3-on-3, there will be a lot of switching,” Henry said, per SB Nation. “So I anticipate her being able to switch on to some smaller guards and really have to sit down and guard in space.”

“Also, back to the basket, being able to guard some of the other really good post players in Unrivaled — Phee, Stewie — she’ll get a daily, or a nightly, challenge of guarding some of the best players in the WNBA, whether they are guards, whether they are post players.”

Reese setting a new record for the most rebounds per game in league history at 13.1 is a statistic for everyone to see. But Henry hopes she can do much more on the court, mainly in containing the league’s two co-founders, Napheesa Collier and Breanna Stewart, known for their up-tempo games.

This past season, the Chi-Town Barbie was also the first player in the W to record 20+ rebounds in consecutive games, as well as 15 consecutive double-doubles. But what Henry wants Reese to do is also showcase some of her defensive ability, revealing how she had followed the 6’3 forward’s college career and then her growth in the WNBA.

The one area Reese might lack in is offense, but this is where one of her teammates could step in, thinks the Rose Club coach.

Nola Henry wants Aces veteran to help out Angel Reese

When the teams were announced last week, Angel Reese had an enthusiastic greeting for Chelsea Gray of the Las Vegas Aces. When the Point Gawd posted about Unrivaled on X, the Sky player reposted it with the caption, “hiiiiii PG🌹.”

Aside from the point guard, joining Reese will be Phoenix Mercury forward Kahleah Copper, Los Angeles Sparks forward Azurá Stevens, Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes, and Indiana Fever sharpshooter Lexie Hull.

But Henry mentioned, “I think Chelsea Gray will definitely help Angel’s development. It’ll speed up her development — not just from a leadership standpoint, but also understanding the angles of the floor, and understanding screening.”

Reese’s shooting percentage of 39.1% from the field in her rookie WNBA season might have the Rose Club coach slightly worried. But Gray, who is a three-time champion, might come to her rescue. Copper was also formerly a Sky player, having helped Chicago win the 2021 championship which might add to the connection. Now however the debut season of Unrivaled goes, one thing is for certain – there’s going to be some exciting skill-building happening in the new format!