Breaking: Angel Reese is out for the year with a season ending injury, she announced on social media.
Breaking: Angel Reese is out for the year with a season-ending injury, she announced on social media.
Angel Reese, WNBA Rookie of the Year candidate, announces season-ending injury
Reese ends her first year as a pro averaging a prolific 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds per game. The Bayou Barbie wrote her name in the WNBA record books earlier this month, breaking Sylvia Fowles’ single-season rebound total.
The record was a building block in Reese’s campaign for Rookie of the Year, a contentious race against rival phenom Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. The Fever smoked the Sky 100-81 in their final matchup of the season last Friday, with Clark notching a career-high 31 points.
“Caitlin is an amazing player and I’ve always thought she was an amazing player. We’ve been playing each other since high school. So I think it’s really just the fans,” Reese said on her new podcast, “Unapologetically Angel.” “At the end of the day, it’s a game that we do both love, but there is no hate.”
With two weeks left to go in the WNBA regular season and seven of eight playoff berths taken, the Sky are fighting for the final spot. Reese wrote on social media that her fans and teammates can still expect to see her “being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline!”
Reese’s rookie season has been curtailed through injury (
Getty Images)
“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. 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.’ You’ll still see me being the biggest cheerleader on the sideline! And Unrivaled league, see you soon!”
Reese’s year has seen her break the WNBA record for the most double-doubles by a rookie in a single campaign, and her tag as a world-class rebounder has seen her set league records for rebounds. But it’s unlikely to be enough for her to be crowned Rookie of the Year ahead of Clark with the Fever already securing their playoff spot.
