Angel Reese to miss remainder of WNBA season with wrist injury

Angel Reese has officially notched the final double-double of her stellar rookie campaign. The Chicago Sky unexpectedly announced Saturday night that she suffered a wrist injury during the team’s Friday win over the Los Angeles Sparks, which will keep her out for the rest of the season.

Reese scored 24 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in 32 minutes in what will be the final game of her first WNBA campaign, but the Sky said in a statement that “after further medical evaluation,” Reese “has been ruled out for the remainder of the 2024 season due to a wrist injury.”

They did not specify which wrist Reese injured or provide specific information other than to say the team would “provide medical updates as necessary.”

Given that she now has her own podcast, it’s likely that Reese will continue to provide updates on her own platforms as well. In her first post following the announcement, Reese struck a hopeful tone, joking that she never thought a 3-pointer would be the final bucket of her rookie year, but that she hopes it’s a warning to the league about a shot she’ll want to hit more consistently once she gets back on the court:

Reese will finish her first year in the W with averages of 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds, while setting a new WNBA record for rebounds in a single season. And as she noted in her post, she’s certainly made her impact on the league felt in her first year, and as a result, she’s widely expected to finish second in Rookie of the Year voting behind fellow rookie star (and frequent foil) Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever.

Here’s to a speedy recovery for Reese, and from what I hear, fans won’t have to wait at longed to see her play again: She said in her post that she would still be ready for the first season of the professional women’s 3-on-3 league “Unrivaled”, which will begin its debut campaign in January.

The Chicago Sky (12-22 overall, 2-8 in their last 10 games) were unlikely to make the playoffs anyway, so this only affects their season because it means Reese will have less on-court reps to continue developing. But if she returns in full form with another high 2025 draft pick on the way, the future still looks bright for them next season.