Kahleah Copper Mentors Angel Reese After ‘Tough Finishing Night’ In New 3X3 League

Phoenix Mercury's Kahleah Copper is mentoring Chicago Sky's Angel Reese as they team up in the inaugural season of Unrivaled.

WNBA star Kahleah Copper is opening up about the mentorship she provided Angel Reese after a rough start in their new 3-on-3 pro league.

The Rose BC team has started its Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 league co-founded by WNBA stars Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier, with a disappointing 0-2 record, most recently falling 79-70 to Lunar Owls BC on Jan. 18, Sports Illustrated reports. While Reese scored 12 points on 5 of 10 shooting from the field, she missed a few shots close to the basket, which was an issue she had during her rookie season playing for the WNBA’s Chicago Sky.

With Copper and Reese playing together for the Rose BC in Unrivaled’s inaugural season, Copper, a WNBA player for the Pheonix Mercury, decided to help out her rookie teammate by offering some advice.

“The night before, she had a tough finishing night,” Copper shared on NBC Sports‘ On Her Turf. “I know how that feels because I play heavy at the rim. So coming off a heavy finishing night, it’s like ‘I need to work on my finishes.'”

Rose BC has competed in two games so far in Unrivaled. The league offers players an alternative to playing overseas during the offseason. Kicking off on Jan. 17, the nine-week league is hosted entirely in Miami.

After a rocky start, sports analysts are eager to see how Reese’s finishing skills develop under Copper’s mentorship.

“For her, it’s just creating that routine. So I’m telling her ‘Everyday, we gotta work on your finishes after practice,'” Copper added of Reese. “What people don’t understand is that little bit that you do every day, that s*** adds up. So we’re just working on that every day. And then just being able to stay mentally strong, it’s very hard.”

Copper continued. “So just walking her through that and helping her understand that it’s not just you. I’ve been there. You know, you look at a player like, ‘Ok you’ve been there, and you’ve done the things that I want to do and would like to accomplish.’ So I trust that.”