Angel Reese downplays significance of individual awards amid WNBA Rookie of the Year race with Caitlin Clark

Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese has made the most of her first 29 games in the WNBA. 

She has quickly become a rebounding force, recording 22 rebounds on Sunday during the Sky’s 77-75 loss to the back-to-back champion Las Vegas Aces. It also marked the third time in the past three games that Reese pulled down 20 or more rebounds.

The No. 7 overall selection in this year’s draft will also enter the Sky’s game against the Washington Mystics on Wednesday, having recorded a double-double in 22 games. Reese’s total matches Tina Charles’ WNBA rookie record for most games with the impressive stat.

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Reese’s production so far this season has fueled the hotly contested race between the Sky star and Caitlin Clark for the right to claim the league’s Rookie of the Year title.

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While Clark is still the favorite to land the award, Reese said getting the Sky back on the winning track is ultimately where her focus remains.

“I’m not focused on my individual accolades,” Reese told Complex. “I’m focused on our team and what we need to do collectively to win.”

Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky shoots a free throw during the game on August 23, 2024 at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.  (Dylan Goodman/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Sky have dropped three games in a row since the WNBA returned from a multi-week Olympic delay. Chicago currently sits in fourth place in the Eastern Conference standings, ahead of the Atlanta Dream and the last place Washington Mystics.

Reese and Clark’s budding rivalry in the college basketball ranks has carried over to the WNBA, with the two rookies already going head-to-head three times so far this season. Clark and the Fever defeated Reese and the Sky in the first two matchups, but Chicago managed to get past Indiana in the third game.

Angel Reese #5, and Caitlin Clark #22 of Team WNBA walk during the 2024 WNBA All Star Game on July 20, 2024 at Footprint Center in Phoenix, Arizona. (Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images)

The Sky are scheduled to host the Fever on Aug. 30.

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Reese is averaging 13.5 points and 12.9 rebounds per game this season. She also announced the launch of her podcast “Unapologetically Angel.” New episodes are scheduled to premiere on Thursdays. 

Reese said the platform gives her the opportunity to connect with fans away from the basketball court.

“It’s another way for me to connect with my fans and reach new audiences I wouldn’t necessarily have before,” Reese also noted during her interview with Complex. “I can’t wait to share a different side with listeners and have them come on this ride with me.”

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