“9 Seconds That Shook the Internet: Angel Reese’s Workout Clip Sparks Firestorm Over Form, Coaching, and What Comes Next”
They said she was ready for the league—but one video made fans ask: who’s really helping Angel get there?
The footage was only nine seconds long. But what it revealed sent shockwaves through WNBA circles—and raised serious questions about the rising star’s next chapter.

CHICAGO —
It was meant to be a simple workout clip.

Nine seconds.
A clean, edited look at a star getting shots up ahead of her WNBA rookie season.
But what fans got instead was a spark—a viral flashpoint that ignited discussions far beyond the gym floor.

When Angel Reese, the breakout NCAA star and new face of the Chicago Sky, posted the brief training video on April 22, she probably didn’t expect it to be dissected frame by frame by coaches, fans, and sports personalities alike. But that’s exactly what happened.

Why?

Because in just nine seconds, everything from her shooting mechanics to her coaching support to her readiness for the WNBA came under fire.

And leading the charge was veteran analyst Adrien Ross, whose breakdown of the clip lit up social media feeds across the country.

The Clip That Changed the Conversation

It opens with a familiar scene: a gym, a rebounder, and Angel Reese catching a pass at the perimeter.

She makes a move. She rises. She releases.

“Tough,” says the man behind the camera.

That one word—meant as encouragement—quickly became the focus of backlash.

Because as Adrien Ross paused, rewound, and zoomed in during her breakdown, what she pointed out wasn’t “tough” at all. It was, in her words, “a breakdown in basic form”—and one that no one in Reese’s corner seemed to be correcting.

“Who’s Coaching Her?” — Ross Doesn’t Hold Back

Ross didn’t attack Angel Reese as an athlete. In fact, she repeatedly praised her effort, her work ethic, and her potential. But her critique was surgical—and brutal.

“Her guide hand is fully across her face. The elbow’s flared. The lift is low. That’s not WNBA-level form,” Ross said.
“And the guy training her? He’s nodding like it’s perfect.”

From there, the analysis only got sharper.

Using freeze-frames, Ross compared Reese’s shot motion from the beginning of the video to the end—suggesting that her mechanics not only broke down under fatigue, but weren’t corrected in real-time.

“Maybe he’s not a Sky coach. Hopefully he’s not,” Ross said bluntly.
“Because if this is what they’re signing off on, we’ve got a problem.”

Fans React: “Don’t Put Out What You Can’t Defend”

The response was swift—and divided.

Some fans defended Angel, arguing that form doesn’t matter if the shot goes in, especially during casual workouts.

But others, including former players, sided with Ross.

“You don’t post that unless you think it’s a good rep,” one coach tweeted.
“And if that’s your ‘good,’ you’ve got a lot of bad.”

Others noted the symbolism: Angel Reese, the outspoken, unfiltered star, being praised in a workout where the fundamentals were lacking. To them, the video represented something larger—the danger of hype without accountability.

Where Was the Team?

Perhaps the most unsettling question wasn’t about Angel’s form—it was about who was watching.

If this workout happened under official Chicago Sky supervision, fans wondered, why was no one fixing her motion?

And if it wasn’t team-sanctioned, why post it at all?

“She’s too young and too talented to be left figuring it out alone,” Ross added.
“And if she’s working with someone who can’t spot crossed wrists or a dropped guide hand, that’s a failure in her circle.”

Others speculated that the workout was informal—just reps before camp, maybe with a friend or local trainer. If true, that would explain the lack of technical correction.

But in the age of viral clips, once it’s online, it’s official.

And for Angel Reese, every second is under a microscope.

From College Star to WNBA Spotlight—The Pressure Hits Early

Reese isn’t just another rookie.
She’s a brand. A phenomenon. A personality that transcends basketball.

That means every game, every practice, and now—even every training clip—is content. And content is judged.

Since being drafted by the Chicago Sky, Reese has carried both excitement and expectation. Many believe she could be the face of the league. But others caution that raw talent needs refinement, and this clip only deepened that divide.

“Reese doesn’t need perfection,” Ross concluded.
“She needs structure. Reps. A new normal. Because when pressure hits—and it will—she’ll revert to muscle memory. And right now, that memory isn’t clean.”

A Teachable Moment or a Warning Sign?

In fairness, many athletes post imperfect workouts. Some even embrace showing the grind. But with Reese, the tone of the clip was celebratory—not instructional.

The nod. The “tough” comment. The lack of visible correction.
All of it suggested that what we saw… was the intended takeaway.

And that, more than anything, is what set off alarms.

Because if the plan is to build Reese into a franchise cornerstone, the foundation needs to be solid.

What Comes Next for Reese?

Whether or not the criticism changes anything remains to be seen.

Reese has always embraced scrutiny. She thrives on challenge. But this moment—this nine-second clip—might be the first time she’s been truly questioned at the pro level.

Will she respond with silence, or with a sharper jumper?

Will the Sky step in, publicly or behind the scenes?

Or will Angel, true to her fearless form, post another video next week—shot fixed, footwork clean, and critics silenced?

Final Words

Nine seconds.
That’s all it took.

Not to define her—but to remind everyone: in the pros, everything counts.

The lights are brighter now.
The margin for error is slimmer.
And for Angel Reese, the clock has already started.