Angel Reese, the standout rookie for the Chicago Sky, has been sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season due to a wrist injury.
The news was confirmed by the team following her 24-point, 12-rebound performance in a win against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday.
Reports from the game did not indicate that Reese had suffered an injury, but video did appear to show her with a bothersome wrist at one point. She delivered a heartbreaking message on social media Saturday night, confirming that her season was over and shocking her fans.
“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,” she wrote. “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,” added Reese. “Although this is God’s timing and not mine, I am finally able to give myself a physical and mental break.”
Angel Reese Injury Ends Season
Angel Reese, in announcing her season-ending injury, pointed out the irony in her last made shot in the WNBA this year was going to be a three-pointer.
“What a year,” she wrote. “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.”
Perhaps a made layup would have been a better sign. Her two-point field goal percentage (39.5%) was well below the league average. To the point where fans have accused Reese of padding her rebounding stats by missing easy shots.
Still, Reese posted impressive stats throughout her rookie campaign, impressing fans and players alike with her consistent double-double box score stats and gaudy rebounding numbers.
The Sky forward finishes her season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds. The latter stat leads the league. Most analysts view her as a solid second-place finisher in the Rookie of the Year race.
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🥲Through it all, I have showed that I belong in this league even when no one else believed.… pic.twitter.com/re1X85mWR2
— Angel Reese (@Reese10Angel) September 8, 2024
An Odd Statement
Angel Reese’s season-ending injury is a shock. Her post announcing it shows how frail the rookie sensation is with her mindset.
‘Nobody believed’ the former LSU standout belonged in the league? She was the 7th pick in last year’s WNBA draft. A lot of people believed in her.
In fact, there was more criticism of Caitlin Clark heading into the season and how her game might translate to the W than most other rookies, including Reese.
The statement plays into Angel’s need to be viewed as a victim at all times. And it comes just days after she debuted her “Unapologetically Angel” podcast in which she accused Clark fans of “racism” and stalking.
Reese ended her announcement with the quote: “God gives his hardest battles to his strongest soldiers.”
Her season-ending injury comes during the first Chicago win in their last eight tries. They were 2-8 in their last 10 games following the Olympic break. The Sky’s only two wins came against the Sparks – the worst team in the league.
Let’s hope Angel Reese recovers from her injury and gets that “physical and mental break” she says she needs.
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