Nick Wright explains why Caitlin Clark is the clear Rookie of the Year at this point in the WNBA season over Angel Reese, then dives into the social media talk among both players across W coverage.
Angel Reese loses landmark WNBA record to A'ja Wilson after season-ending injury
by Jackson Thompson · Fox NewsChicago Sky rookie Angel Reese is no longer the WNBA record holder for most rebounds in a single season.
The 22-year-old Reese broke the record when she recorded her 418th in a 79-74 defeat against the Minnesota Lynx on Sept. 1. She held it at the time she announced her rookie season would end due to injury on Sept. 7, later saying she would need surgery on her wrist.
But it took just 10 days for that rebounds record to slip through Reese's fingers at the hands of Las Vegas Aces star and MVP frontrunner A'ja Wilson. Wilson broke the record in an 85-72 win over the Seattle Storm on Tuesday night, setting the new bar at 451 total rebounds. Wilson also has one more game to go to set that bar even higher, as Las Vegas hosts the 9-30 Dallas Wings on Thursday night. Wilson also broke the single-season scoring record on Sept. 11.
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Reese was on pace to set the bar much higher before she went down with injury. She initially broke the record with eight games remaining on the schedule.
Reese was even considered a challenger, albeit a distant one, to Indiana Fever rookie superstar Caitlin Clark for WNBA Rookie of the Year honors. There were many who argued she deserved the award more than Clark earlier in the season.
Former NBA All-Star Joakim Noah told Fox News Digital earlier this month that he would vote for Reese over Clark for Rookie of the Year if he had a say.
Noah’s reasoning is not rooted in any statistical argument, however. The 6-foot-11 Noah likes the fact that the 6-foot-3 Reese's play is more like his than the 6-foot Clark. Reese's height advantage worked heavily in her favor in terms of achieving the historic rebound numbers, as her average was more than twice that of Clark's when the Sky rookie went out with an injury.
Meanwhile, WNBA legend Lisa Leslie infamously said earlier this season that Reese and Clark should share Rookie of the Year.
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Reese’s height advantage over Clark has resulted in the Sky rookie having stronger finishes in the paint, and a few very physical blocks and block attempts. Some instances have also resulted in some hard fouls being called against Reese for her defense on Clark. In a game on June 16, Clark was going in for a layup. Reese didn’t quite have the wingspan to block the shot, but got a flagrant 1 when she hit Clark in the head from above instead.
However, Clark has all-but put the debate away over the last month. Clark is now the only player besides Wilson to hold a single-season record in one of the three major statistics of points, rebounds and assists, as Clark broke the assists record on Sept. 13, then broke the single-season rookie scoring record on Sept. 16.
And while Reese's injury has kept her from keeping pace with this season's historic numbers on the court, it hasn't stopped her from launching her media career.
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Reese released the second episode of her podcast on Sept. 12, where she interviewed Polo G. Reese is now two episodes into her podcast, which she has used to discuss her rivalry with Clark.
Reese recounted her most famous meeting with Clark, the 2023 NCAA women's basketball championship game, and the moment she pointed to her finger to boast in victory as a moment that changed her life. She claims it ignited a series of intense interactions between certain members of Clark's passionate followers and Reese and some of her Chicago Sky teammates.
"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.
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Jackson Thompson is a sports writer for Fox News Digital. He previously worked for ESPN and Business Insider. Jackson has covered the Super Bowl and NBA Finals, and has interviewed iconic figures Usain Bolt, Rob Gronkowski, Jerry Rice, Troy Aikman, Mike Trout, David Ortiz and Roger Clemens.