One of the greatest rookie seasons in WNBA history has come to an abrupt end due to a heartbreaking ill-timed injury. Chicago Sky rookie forward Angel Reese will miss the remainder of the 2024 WNBA season after playing in just 34 of the 38 regular season games in her debut campaign.
Angel Reese’s Historic Season Ends After Nightmare Injury
Reese posted a lengthy cryptic message on Saturday evening, September 7 on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), that she never thought the “last bucket” of her rookie season would be a three-pointer, referring to her viral three-pointer against the Los Angeles Sparks last Friday.
“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. 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.””
While the 22-year-old forward initially did not disclose details about the reason for the end of her season, the Sky announced it on their official X account less than an hour later.
After undergoing further medical evaluation after the September 6 game against Los Angeles, Angel Reese has been ruled out for the rest of the 2024 season with a wrist injury, the team announced today. The team will provide medical updates later as needed. pic.twitter.com/MbViDUw2Sb
— Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) September 8, 2024
The 6-foot-3 forward vowed to remain present as the Sky push for a playoff berth. They currently hold a 12-22 record, tied with the Atlanta Dream for the eighth and final playoff spot with six games remaining.
Angel Reese’s Historic Rookie Season
Selected by the Sky with the 7th overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft, Reese ended her debut WNBA season with averages of 13.6 points, a league-leading 13.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 1.3 steals, and 0.5 blocks per game. She also shot 39.1 percent from the field, 18.8 percent from three-point range, and 73.6 percent from the free-throw line.
Reese initially broke the WNBA record for most consecutive double-doubles, recording 15 straight earlier in the season from June to July. The next two record holders, Candace Parker (12) and Sylvia Fowles (11) achieved their streaks over multiple seasons. The most double-doubles in a single WNBA season was also set by Parker with nine in 2016.
The former LSU Tigers standout broke the records for most total rebounds and most offensive rebounds in a season, both occurring in a game against the Minnesota Lynx last Sunday, September 1. She finished her season with 446 total rebounds, making her the league’s current runaway leader in that category.
