“Both kids are in LA right now. Wish I was there to give a hug of congratulations to 1 & a hug of encouragement to the other,” penned Angel Reese’s mother on X. And no doubt, she meant every word she shared. After all, her daughter, now known as Boards Barbie, has successfully proved herself and finally delivered a checkmate to all her critics, all thanks to her recent performance against the LA Sparks!
It all came as the Chicago Sky star entered Crypto.com Arena to take on the LA Sparks. What followed was a tough battle, as both teams were evenly matched on the court. While the Sky ranked 11th at 4-11, LA stood at 12th with a 5-11 record. Though it was neck-and-neck for most of the game, it eventually swung in the Sky’s favor as they pulled off a 92-85 win.
Leading the charge? None other than Angel Reese. Reese ended the third quarter with a bucket that helped Chicago snag the last four points and cut the gap to 62-61. Then she came into the fourth like, “Alright, I got this,” scoring six straight points so that the Sky could take the lead without having to look back. In total, she dropped 11 points in the fourth and even sealed an 85-74 lead for the Sky with a three-point play. And if you think that’s the headline, you might be wrong.
She dominated on both ends of the floor, logging an impressive double-double with 24 points, 16 rebounds, and seven assists in 38 minutes of action. Coming into the game, she already led the W in rebounds with her average of 12.3 RPG, but this latest performance made it her fourth consecutive game with at least 16 boards – she had hoarded 17, 18, and 19 in her last three games. This also marked her fourth straight double-double and her 36th in her first 50 career games, a milestone that puts her in elite company. Her 24 points were a season high, fueled by efficient shooting: 10-of-19 from the field and a perfect 4-of-4 from the free-throw line. Defensively, she made her presence felt with two blocks and a steal.
Angel Reese is the first player in WNBA history to record 4 straight 15+ rebound games. pic.twitter.com/xZAjzDbcdF
— Real Sports (@realapp_) June 29, 2025
No wonder the Sky gave her the nickname Boards Barbie – a nod to her viral “mebounds” quote where she said, “Anything that comes off the board, it’s mine.” But this game wasn’t just about branding; it was about backing up the talk with real numbers. In fact, over her last four games, Reese has pulled down a whopping 70 total rebounds, and only six of them were ‘mebounds’ (rebounds off her own missed shots).
Well, that’s a huge statement from a player who was once mocked for chasing her own layups. Now, not only has she reclaimed the term “mebounds” and turned it into a brand, but she’s also left no room for critics to use it against her. And just in case you’re wondering how it all began, well, there’s a whole story behind that, too.
From getting a nickname to owning it!
It all started when Brandon “Bishop B Hen” Hendricks jokingly gave Angel Reese the nickname “Mebounds.” While he didn’t mean any harm, it was a term he used to describe Reese’s habit of grabbing her own rebounds off missed layups. But soon, the name went viral – except not in the most flattering way. Critics began mocking the Chi-Town Barbie’s every move on the boards.
This time, though, Reese didn’t let the narrative spiral in a negative direction. Instead, she turned it into a marketing goldmine. First, she addressed the nickname head-on with a playful TikTok, saying, “Because mebounds, crebounds, keybounds, tebounds… anything that comes off the board, it’s mine.” Then, she let her game do the talking by dropping her first career triple-double to become the youngest player in WNBA history to accomplish the feat after Caitlin Clark. And she didn’t stop there.
Reese followed it up by filing a trademark application for “Mebounds” with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office under the goods and services category. Soon after, she launched a new merch line featuring the tagline: “MEBOUNDS. REESEBOUNDS. REBOUNDS…” And yes, all of this was intentional, not just to control the narrative but to give back. As analyst DeAmita put it best: “This was such a brilliant idea to trademark the term ‘Mebounds.’ I love this. This is just because we’re finally getting the sense of humor back into sports. Like, not everything needs to be taken so seriously.”
No doubt, she’s right. But what made it even more brilliant is that Chi-town Barbie announced that a portion of the proceeds from her new merch line would go toward the Angel C. Reese Foundation, which is dedicated to fighting cyberbullying. So that was how she was able to fight the cyber bullies in her own unique way, but this isn’t the only move she did!
Jun 29, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese (5) drives past Los Angeles Sparks forward Dearica Hamby (5) in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
We all know that players in the NBA go through similar scrutiny, say Nikola Jokić, but it’s Reese who often ends up under a different kind of microscope. Still, she embraces it in her own way. And this isn’t the first time she’s responded with performance and purpose. Just a few games ago, Reese became the fastest player in WNBA history to reach 500 career points and 500 rebounds. For a young player, her numbers are nearly unheard of. In fact, she currently has more career rebounds (532) than points (526) – a stat she is mocked for, but a stat you’d expect from seasoned vets like Bismack Biyombo.
So yes, the spark of greatness was always there, even when it went unnoticed. Earlier this season, she was putting up career-low numbers, like a mere 2 and 4 points in some games, which made sense as the team was adjusting to new roster changes. But now, the tide may be turning. The Sky has defeated the Sparks twice in their last three games. What do you think? Is this the start of a major Reese-led comeback?
The post Angel Reese Statistically Shatters ‘Mebounds’ Theory Once & For All With Stunning Performance Against LA Sparks appeared first on EssentiallySports.
