Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky recently made headlines after it was announced she would be sidelined for the remainder of the season due to injury, sending shockwaves through the basketball community. A few days after the initial announcement, she took to social media to address her injury, stating, “Injuries suck, and I hate seeing them happen. It’s tough for the sport, tough for business, but most of all, it’s devastating for the athlete. I wouldn’t wish an injury on anyone ever.”
However, there has been a lot of buzz among basketball fans online, with some speculating that this situation with Reese might be different. Some fans believe that Angel may not be telling the full story, suggesting she might have walked away from the season out of frustration—especially after Caitlin Clark left her in the dust in the Rookie of the Year race.
Today, I’m going to dive into the facts and lay it all out for you to decide whether Caitlin Clark actually made Angel Reese quit. What was the injury? Angel didn’t disclose specific details, but reports indicate she may need surgery.
Before we delve into the details of the injury and what transpired, let’s quickly look at the history between these two players. As we know, the history between Angel Reese and Caitlin Clark goes back to their college days. Since both entered the WNBA, there has been no shortage of drama, including the head-smacking incident and the cheering on a teammate after a confrontation with Caitlin on the court.
If you asked Angel, she would brush it off, saying there’s no bad blood. “There’s never been beef; we just talked trash to each other,” she said. However, the statistics tell a different story. A staggering 77% of all flagrant fouls in the WNBA have been committed against Caitlin, with 80% of those coming from Angel’s team, the Chicago Sky. In contrast, Caitlin hasn’t engaged in any of that behavior toward Angel and has simply focused on playing basketball at the highest level.
This dynamic is crucial because while Angel insists everything is fine, her actions seem to suggest otherwise. The big question today is whether Caitlin was the reason Angel decided to call it quits for the rest of the season. One of Angel’s main goals this year was to win Rookie of the Year and break records for rebounds and double-doubles.
On August 29th, ESPN sparked outrage by tweeting an article claiming Angel Reese was leading Caitlin Clark in the Rookie of the Year race. It was completely ridiculous; when you compare the numbers, it’s not even a contest. In every category except rebounds, Caitlin outshines Angel in points, assists, shooting percentage, steals, and even blocks. Caitlin’s team also had a better position, with 15 wins and 16 losses compared to the Sky’s 11 wins and 19 losses.
After the August 30th game, where Caitlin dropped 31 points and handed out 12 assists, any doubt about who deserved Rookie of the Year was erased. Even Shaquille O’Neal, sitting courtside, praised Caitlin’s performance, saying, “Clark does everything right.” After this game, it became clear to Angel that she wasn’t going to win Rookie of the Year over Caitlin.
However, there was still one thing Angel could do to boost her legacy: break the single-season rebounds record. In a game against the Minnesota Lynx, she achieved that goal, surpassing Sylvia Fowles’ single-season record of 404 rebounds. At this point, there wasn’t much left for Angel to achieve, as Rookie of the Year was already out of reach, and she had broken the rebounds record.
Angel explained online that her injury occurred during an and-one attempt in a game against the Los Angeles Sparks when she fell on her hand. However, after the supposed injury, she shot a free throw and continued to play without showing signs of distress. Critics pointed out that if someone had a season-ending wrist injury, they likely wouldn’t be able to perform as she did.
Many WNBA fans suspect that Angel might have used the injury announcement as a convenient excuse for falling short against Caitlin while securing the single-season rebound record, especially after her main competitor faced an injury. Whether this was coincidental or strategic remains a topic of debate.
Fans online have voiced their skepticism, with some noting that her performance post-injury seemed suspicious. They argue that without any visible signs of injury on the bench or during the postgame press conference, the legitimacy of her injury is questionable.
Meanwhile, Asia Wilson, who was seen as a threat to Angel’s rebound record, only missed one game and is now closing in on that record, currently just 12 rebounds away. With Angel sidelined, it seems unlikely she will return to compete for more rebounds.
So, what do you think? Did Angel Reese quit on the season because Caitlin left her in the dust, or do you believe the injury is legitimate? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.
Before you go, did you know that Caitlin seems to be shutting down all her critics this year? Every person who has come after her appears to be facing some serious karma. If you’re curious about what I’m talking about, make sure to check out my video breaking it all down.
