WNBA star Angel Reese made an impact in Team USA’s opening victory over China at the FIBA Women’s Basketball World Cup on Friday. Her signature rebounding against China’s 7’3 center Zhang Ziyu sparked plenty of reactions across social media.
Team USA beat China 94-61 in their Group D opener, and while Reese only scored 5 points, she made headlines by out-rebounding the much taller Zhang (9 rebounds to 6).
Fans Praise Angel Reese’s Rebounding but Question Her Impact
FIBA lists Reese at 190 centimeters and Zhang at 223 centimeters, but the Atlanta Dream star overcame the roughly 13-inch height difference to collect more rebounds.
One fan commented on Reese’s performance by comparing it to a legendary story. They said, “Nice job, the David vs Goliath basketball version,” seemingly amazed at the viral footage showing Reese fighting for positioning against the larger Zhang inside.
Just as David was able to gain an advantage over a larger opponent in Goliath, Reese succeeded against Zhang.
Nice job, the David vs Goliath basketball version 😂🤣 pic.twitter.com/7XmlTv2Mpd
— Midlife Crisis ⚡️#boltup (@Mark2099x) September 5, 2026
“This just proves that if rebounding was as easy as everyone says, everyone would be doing it lol. And it’s not just the young rookie, she only had one less than Han Xu, who also had a double double, but nobody talking about that,” another X user stated.
Some users spotlighted the controversial nature of Reese’s rebounds, with one saying, “Angel’s boards are a joke, but the fans still love her? lmao, wtf, bro.”
The three-time All-Star is already one of the greatest rebounders in the history of the WNBA, and is currently leading the league in rebounding, holding both the single-game and single-season rebounding records.
Another user posted, “When Reese is in the conversation, it’s not rebounds; it’s mebounds.”
When Reese is in the conversation it’s not rebounds it’s mebounds.
— James Millspaugh (@JamesMillspaug4) September 5, 2026
Reese’s critics use the term ‘mebounds’ to mock her poor shooting around the rim. One user claimed Reese received too much credit: “You can win more games by scoring more than your opponents, not out-rebounding them.”
However, one user lamented the criticism Reese received and wrote, “The hate toward Angel Reese is one of the most incomprehensible things in sports history.”
Besides Reese’s rebounding effort in Team USA’s win, Clark made a mark of her own.
Coming off the bench, Clark finished the game with 14 points, 3 rebounds, and a game-high 11 assists in 25 minutes. She also had a team-best +30 plus-minus and did not turn the ball over.
Besides Clark, Team USA was buoyed by collective efforts from Paige Bueckers and Rhyne Howard (14 points each), while Jackie Young added 12 to the tally. Having opened their campaign with an impressive win, Team USA will now turn its attention to the upcoming group-stage games against Italy and Czechia.
