Sky get needed win over Wings in Angel Reese’s first absence

Angel Reese took the court Sunday afternoon around the time she typically does for her pregame routine.

However, Sunday’s 92-77 Sky win over the Wings was anything but typical, as indicated by the wrist guard she donned on her left hand as she got shot up with her right in street clothes. Less than 24 hours prior, Reese broke the news herself that she would be out for the remainder of her rookie season after sustaining a wrist injury against the Sparks on Friday.

Sky general manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times the injury Reese sustained was a left wrist fracture.

“She did so much for us this season,” Isabelle Harrison, who finished with 21 points and nine rebounds Sunday, said. “I hope she knows we have her back. We want to play for her and not just A but [Elizabeth Williams] and obviously everybody. We want to play for each other and take care of it one game at a time.”

News that Reese would be out the remainder of the season was a shock to many late Saturday night because there was no clear indication of when exactly she suffered the wrist injury. Hours before she shared the news to her social media pages, the team had listed Reese as questionable ahead of their game against the Wings.

Reese’s injury — which occurred when she hit the floor on an and-1 at the three-minute mark in the third quarter — went unnoticed because she remained in the game for the next 10 minutes. She finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds, her 26th and final double-double of her historic rookie campaign. However, as the adrenaline of the game wore off Reese was left with an unusual amount of pain, prompting an evaluation of her wrist.

There’s no timetable for when Reese can return to full basketball activity. However, Reese said in her social media post, “Unrivaled league, see you soon.” The inaugural season for the 3-on-3 basketball league, founded by two-time WNBA MVP Breanna Stewart and two-time Olympic gold medalist Napheesa Collier, begins in January.

By Sunday, Reese had amassed a number of messages from her peers across the league, including from Rookie of the Year frontrunner Caitlin Clark.

“It’s obviously, definitely sad, anytime you see anybody go down with an injury, especially people that you came into this league with, whether it was Cam [Brink], whether it was Angel, and especially Angel. Like, you want to see her finish out this year, obviously, she’s had a historic year, and she’s done some incredible things,” Clark told the media ahead of the Fever’s 104-100 overtime win against the Dream on Sunday.

Reese is the second rookie from the 2024 class to suffer a season-ending injury. Brink, the No. 2 overall pick selected by the Sparks, suffered a torn ACL in her left knee in June.

Sunday’s win — which officially eliminated the Wings from the postseason — coupled with the Dream’s loss to the Fever, gives the Sky a one-game advantage for the eighth and final playoff spot.

Chennedy Carter finished with a game-high 28 points, six assists and four rebounds. Dana Evans added 11 points and four rebounds off the bench. Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields both exited Sunday’s game with apparent injuries.

Weatherspoon didn’t have an update on their status postgame.

“this is something we build on,” Evans said. “We have some injuries we gotta take care of, but everybody has to step up and be ready to play. When your number is called, you have to be ready to play, no matter what. THat’s what we did today.”