Angel Reese got hurt in Unrivaled. Will she be back when the WNBA starts?

Angel Reese had an excellent rookie season with the Chicago Sky, breaking records for the longest streak of double-double games and the WNBA’s single-season rebounding record. Drafted No. 7 overall by the Sky, Reese adapted well to the physicality of the WNBA while still improving her game to match the league and her team’s style. While the Sky missed the playoffs, Reese’s season ended even sooner when she injured her wrist. She ended up having surgery to repair a hairline fracture in that wrist after the WNBA season.

Despite her season ending early, Reese finished her rookie season averaging 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds, and 1.3 steals per game.

She recovered in time to start Unrivaled’s 3-on-3 season in January, helping Rose Basketball Club win the league’s first-ever Championship. Reese also recorded the league’s first-ever 20-20 game, scoring 22 points and grabbing 21 rebounds against the Lunar Owls and Napheesa Collier. While Rose made it to the championship game and won, Reese’s Unrivaled season also ended early when she injured her hand and left Miami early.

Unrivaled never specified what the exact nature of her injury was, nor have the Chicago Sky provided an update on Reese’s status. With training camp starting in under a week, all that is surely on its way. Regardless, Reese has been unable to finish both her rookie seasons in the WNBA and Unrivaled due to these injuries, whether they are connected or not.

If Reese can start the WNBA season on time with Chicago, the goal will be for her to play the entire season injury-free. She has the chance to make a huge leap in her skill this year, given the glimpses that were starting to be shown in Unrivaled. Her ability to score under the basket, take advantage of second-chance opportunities, and defend were all points of emphasis in Miami.

Hand and wrist injuries can be tricky, though, especially given that Reese already needed surgery. To make a comparison, I have covered Scottie Barnes and the Raptors for the last several years as a Toronto-based basketball journalist, which is relevant because Barnes sustained a slightly different but still similar fracture to his hand at the end of the 2023-2024 NBA season. He also underwent surgery and recovered in time to play at the start of the 2024 NBA season. But around February-March, he injured his hand again, still able to play but with noticeable struggles. At the end of the season, Barnes stated that his hand would often go numb, making it difficult for him to grip the basketball properly.

Again, this is obviously not the exact same scenario, but it’s a reminder that these injuries can linger.

While we wait to see what Chicago releases on Reese’s injury status ahead of training camp, the focus turns to the Sky’s development. They fired head coach Teresa Weatherspoon after the 2024 WNBA season, her first with the team. The team’s new coach is Tyler Marsh, who previously coached under Becky Hammon on the Las Vegas Aces and has a track record of developing players.

In a very unique year in the WNBA (given that most of the league will be heading into free agency after this season), the Sky seem to have focused this year’s efforts on mentorship. They brought in Courtney Vandersloot as a veteran guard presence, along with trading for Ariel Atkins. Kia Nurse is another tried-and-true veteran who just finished an excellent season at Athletes Unlimited. Rebecca Allen will also provide a ton of great mentorship to young wings.

On the flip side, the Sky drafted some prospects in Hailey Van Lith, Ajsa Sivka, Aicha Coulibaly and Maddy Westbeld. While this team may not compete for a title, they could continue to develop their core for the future.

The big question on Angel Reese’s development in year two will be the ability to stay healthy. If she does, she will continue to grow into one of the WNBA’s most exciting young prospects.