Angel Reese announced that her season is over and that the Rookie of the Year race may be decided by Caitlin Clark.
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese announced on Channel after a wrist problem.
“Right now I’m full of emotions about my season-ending injury, but at the same time I’m full of gratitude for what’s to come. I was finally able to rest physically and mentally, even if it was God’s time and not mine. “God gives the toughest battles to his strongest soldiers,” Reese wrote. Reese finished her freshman year with unprecedented rebound numbers. In a season in which she didn’t even complete a full season, Reese broke the WNBA single-season rebound record and the most rebounds per game record with 13.1.
Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese grabs a rebound. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
Reese broke the single-season record for points scored in the Sky’s 79-74 loss to Minnesota on Sept. 1, passing Sylvia Fowles’ 2018 mark of 404 points. Just one year after Jonquel Jones recorded 403 points, Fowles broke that record by one point. Reese accomplished the feat in just 23 games. Reese was considered the top contender for WNBA Rookie of the Year honors over rookie star Kaitlyn Clark. Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah even told Fox News Digital that he would vote for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese over Clark if he had the chance to voice his opinion. “Watching her play reminds me a lot of her,” Noah said.
Clark posted better averages in points, assists, steals, blocks and all the major shooting percentage metrics. Clark defeated Minnesota’s “heat” season on Friday.
But leases had fundamental advantages to rebound. With 13.1 rebounds per game, Reese has more than doubled Clark’s current mark of 5.8 rebounds per game.
In head-to-head games this year, the Fever have beaten the Sky three of four times. Reese scored more points than Clark in two of those games and grabbed more rebounds than Clark in all four games. Clark had more assists in all four games. Angel Reese and Kaitlyn Clark watch the second half of a game against the Chicago Sky at Wintrust Arena in Chicago on June 23, 2024. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Prior to her season-ending injury, Reese spoke about her rivalry with Clark on the first episode of her podcast on Thursday. Reese expressed great respect for Clark and said there was no ill will between them, despite a bitter rivalry that dates back to their college days when Clark attended the University of Iowa and Reese attended LSU.
However, Reese said Clark was being harassed by some of his most ardent fans. “I think it’s really just the fans, her fans, the Iowa fans, now the Indiana fans that are really just, they ride for her and I respect that, respectfully. But sometimes it’s very disrespectful. “I think there’s a lot of racism in the area,” Reese said.
Reese then gave examples of death threats and people marching to his home as examples of actions Clark fans have taken in response to the rivalry. Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark and Chicago Sky’s Angel Reese watch a game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 1, 2024. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
“People came to my address, followed me to my house, and that’s what it came down to,” Reese said. Reese even claims that some fans have created AI-generated images of her without clothes and sent them to her family.
“On multiple occasions, people have used artificial intelligence to create naked images of me. They sent it to the members of my family. The members of my family are like uncles, sending it to me as: “Are you naked on Instagram?” \, ”Said Reese. “It’s the worst thing to have to go through that and watch other players go through that.”
After Clark was selected first overall by the Indiana Fever in last year’s WNBA draft, Reese was selected seventh overall by Chicago. Reese and Clark were the only rookies selected to the WNBA All-Star Game in July.
