Angel Reese’s record-setting rookie season is over after the Chicago Sky rookie suffered a wrist injury during a victory Friday night.
Reese made the announcement on social media Saturday evening. The Sky earlier in the day had listed her as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Dallas Wings at Wintrust Arena.
The All-Star forward’s season ended after a dominant 24-point, 12-rebound performance in a home rout of the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday. She will miss the Sky’s final six games.
“What a year,” Reese wrote on X. “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. 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.”
From her debut for the Sky, Reese dominated the boards on both ends of the court, leading the league in rebounds with 446. Reese broke the league’s single-season rebounding record in one of her final games.
Despite being the No. 7 pick in the draft, Reese became one of the top contenders for Rookie of the Year behind No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever. Reese had 26 double-doubles in 34 games while averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds, breaking Candace Parker’s record for consecutive double-doubles with a 15-game streak.
The Sky (12-22) will now face a heated final push for the playoffs without one of their most valuable players. They are tied with the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot. The first tiebreaker is head-to-head matchups, which the Sky lead 2-1. The teams meet for the final time on Sept. 17 in Atlanta.
No. 3 pick Kamilla Cardoso and breakout guard Chennedy Carter will now shoulder the challenge of trying to lift the Sky into the playoffs for a sixth season in a row.
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