We’re witnessing a historic season in the WNBA, starting from the draft, 

which became the most-watched in league history, attracting 2.4 million viewers-a remarkable 307% increase compared to last year. 

Since then, the league has hit unprecedented milestones, including record-breaking TV ratings, 

sold-out arenas, booming merchandise sales, a surge in social media engagement, and the most viewed and voted All-Star Game ever. 

Much of this success is attributed to Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever (14-16), who has played in 14 of the 16 games that surpassed one million viewers.

The Other Standout Rookie

While most of the spotlight is on Clark, who has drawn attention as the NCAA Division I’s all-time leading scorer in both men’s and women’s basketball and the top overall pick in the draft, we can’t overlook Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky (11-18), the seventh pick of this draft. Reese leads the league in rebounds (12.9), averages 13.5 points, and has displayed a level of poise typically seen in seasoned veterans, despite having played fewer than 30 WNBA games. Her latest record came in her last game against the Las Vegas Aces (18-11), where she grabbed 22 rebounds, making her the first player in WNBA history to secure 20 or more rebounds in three consecutive games.

Reese’s incredible streak includes 20 rebounds against the Phoenix Mercury (16-15), 20 against the Connecticut Sun (22-7), and 22 against the Aces, making her the first WNBA or NBA player to achieve this feat since Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons in 2003 who did it during the first round of the playoffs against the Orlando Magic, where Wallace recorded 22, 24, and 21 rebounds. Before Wallace, Wilt Chamberlain accomplished this in 1973. To be mentioned alongside such names is already a tremendous achievement for a rookie like Reese. Despite criticism for her low field goal percentage (.387%) and multiple, sometimes simple, missed shots, Reese has set several records, including the most consecutive double-doubles in a season (15) and 22 double-doubles overall this season. She’s on track to surpass the 28 set by the Connecticut Sun’s Alyssa Thomas last season, which is the league record.

Reese currently ranks as the worst player in the league for shots within five feet of the basket, an area of her game that undoubtedly needs improvement, like Clark with the turnovers. However, we must remember that she’s only 22 years old with just 29 professional games under her belt-these are fixable errors that she’s likely working on right now. Reese is on pace to break Tina Charles’ rookie rebound record of 398 and really possibly Sylvia Fowles’ single-season rebound record of 404. Reese currently has 374 rebounds and averages 12.9 per game, which would be the highest average in history, surpassing Fowles’ 11.8 in 2018. If she maintains this pace over the remaining 11 games, she would become the first player to break the 500-rebound mark in a season.

So, while her offensive game may not be as flashy as Clark’s, Reese’s contributions on the boards and on defense speak volumes. Her primary focus should be leading the Chicago Sky, who are 4-10 at home this season, into the playoffs with 11 games remaining, as they currently hold the eighth and final playoff spot, it seems that the battle for the seventh and eighth playoff spots will be between the Indiana Fever (14-16), Chicago Sky (11-18), and Atlanta Dream (10-19).

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Source: USA Today