Angel Reese announces her season is over as Caitlin Clark Rookie of the Year race may now be decided
Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese announced on X that her season is over due to an injury on Saturday night after being declared questionable for the team's upcoming game against the Dallas Wings with a wrist issue.
"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,’" Reese wrote.
Reese finishes her rookie year with an unprecedented number of rebounds. In just her first year, without even finishing the full season, Reese broke the record for most rebounds in a single WNBA season and the record for most rebounds per game with 13.1.
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Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese grabs a rebound. (Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports)
Reese broke the single-season record in the Sky's 79-74 loss at Minnesota on Sept. 1, when she surpassed Sylvia Fowles' record of 404 set in 2018. Fowles beat the record by one just a year after Jonquel Jones recorded 403. Reese accomplished the feat in just 23 games.
Reese was considered the biggest challenger to fellow rookie star Caitlin Clark for the WNBA's Rookie of the Year award. Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah even told Fox News Digital he would vote for Chicago Sky rookie Angel Reese over Clark for Rookie of the Year if he had a say.
"When I look at her play, she reminds me a lot of myself," Noah said.
Clark has put up the better averages in terms of points, assists, steals, blocks and every major shooting percentage category. Clark broke the Fever's single-season record for assists in a loss to Minnesota on Friday.
But Reese did have a drastic advantage in terms of rebounds. With 13.1 rebounds per game, Reese more than doubled Clark’s current 5.8 per game.
In head-to-head matchups this year, the Fever have beaten the Sky three out of four times. In two of those matchups, Reese put up more points than Clark while putting up more rebounds than Clark in all four meetings. Clark put up more assists in all four meetings.
EX-NBA ALL-STAR ON WHY HE PICKS ANGEL REESE OVER CAITLIN CLARK FOR ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark look on during the second half against the Chicago Sky on June 23, 2024, at Wintrust Arena in Chicago. (Melissa Tamez/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Prior to her season-ending injury, Reese spoke about her rivalry with Clark in the first episode of her podcast on Thursday. Reese expressed tremendous respect for Clark and that they have no ill-will toward each other despite a heated rivalry that dates back to their college careers, when Clark was at Iowa and Reese was at LSU.
However, Reese spoke out against Clark's passionate fans and claimed they have harassed her.
"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 when it comes to it," Reese said.
Reese went on to list death threats and people coming right to her home as an alleged example of a measure Clark's fans have taken in response to their rivalry.
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Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever and Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky look on during the game on June 1, 2024, at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)
"People have come down to my address, followed me home, it's come down to that," Reese said.
Reese even alleges that some fans have made AI-generated images of her, depicting her without clothes on, and sent them to her family members.
"Multiple occasions, people have made AI-images of me naked. They have sent it to my family members. My family members are like uncles, sending it to me like, ‘Are you naked on Instagram?’" Reese said. "It sucks having to go through that and see other players have to go through that."
After Clark was drafted with the first pick in the WNBA Draft this past year by the Indiana Fever, Reese was selected seventh overall by Chicago. Reese and Clark were the only rookies to be named to the WNBA All-Star Game in July.
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