In a shocking and unfortunate turn of events, Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese, the WNBA leader and the queen of crashing the boards this season in total rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game, will be on the shelf for the rest of the season due to a wrist injury.
The organization revealed the news Saturday night. It is a massive gut punch for Chicago, who are just barely hanging on and fighting for their playoff lives. They currently are in the eighth and final playoff spot, with the Atlanta Dream, Washington Mystics and Dallas Wings nipping at their heals and still in the hunt.
It is the final countdown. The Sky have six regular-season games left.
Embed from Getty Images“What a year. I never would have imagined the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe that was God saying give them a taste of what they will be seeing more of in Year 2 lol,” said Reese in posts on social media, referring to the three-point shot she hit during the fourth quarter Friday in her team’s 92-78 victory against the Los Angeles Sparks.
“Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed. All I have ever wanted was to come into the W and make an impact. I can confidently say I have done that and will strive to keep doing so. I’m filled with emotions right now that I have a season ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is next.”
In Friday’s win against the Sparks, Reese had her finger prints all over the game, finishing with a double-double, 24 points and 12 rebounds. She has put in the work, averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game this season.
Her standout play earned her an All-Star selection, as she and Caitlin Clark, her college rival and main competitor in the Rookie of the Year race, became the first pair of rookies to earn All-Star nods since 2014. Reese was Chicago’s fourth rookie All-Star and first since Elena Delle Donne in 2013.
“Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break. God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers,” Reese said.
Reese, who was selected with the seventh overall pick in the 2024 WNBA draft out of Louisiana State University, was no stranger to making history in her rookie campaign.
On September 1, the former LSU star broke the WNBA’s single-season record for rebounds, passing Sylvia Fowles, who also attended the same university, retired after the 2022 season as the league’s career leader in rebounds.
Reese also broke the single-season record for offensive rebounds, while she has already become the fastest player in WNBA history to collect 20 double-doubles and racked up the most consecutive double-doubles (15) in league history.
Reese tallied 26 double-doubles on the season, joining elite company, becoming just one of two players in league history to do so in one year.
