Sky rookie Angel Reese took the court Sunday around the time she typically does for her pregame routine.
But things were anything but typical for Reese, who wore a guard on her left wrist and was in street clothes as she shot with her right hand. Less than 24 hours before, Reese broke the news on social media that she would miss the rest of her rookie season after being hurt Friday against the Sparks.
General manager Jeff Pagliocca told the Sun-Times that Reese suffered a fracture in the wrist.
‘‘She did so much for us this season,’’ said forward Isabelle Harrison, who had 21 points and nine rebounds in the Sky’s 92-77 victory against the Wings. ‘‘I hope she knows we have her back. We want to play for not just ‘A’ but [injured center 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 for the rest of the season was a shock to many late Saturday because there was no clear indication of exactly when she suffered the injury. Hours before she shared the news, the Sky had listed Reese as questionable for the game Sunday.
Reese’s injury, which occurred when she hit the floor after being fouled in the third quarter, went unnoticed because she stayed in the game for the next 10 minutes. She finished with 24 points and 12 rebounds for the 26th and final double-double of her historic rookie season. But as the adrenaline of the game wore off, Reese was in an unusual amount of pain, prompting an evaluation of her wrist.
Reese shared on TikTok Sunday night that she could have played on the hairline fracture. However, that choice came with risks, including arthritis and other damage to the bone. She will have surgery on Tuesday and be in a cast for six weeks.
“In six weeks, I’ll be back,” Reese said.
Her official return to basketball will be participating in the inaugural season of Unrivaled, a new 3-on-3 league created by two-time MVP Breanna Stewart and two-time Olympic gold medalist Napheesa Collier.
By Sunday, Reese had received a number of messages from her peers across the league, including one from Rookie of the Year front-runner 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 [the Sparks’] Cam [Brink], whether it was Angel — especially Angel,’’ Clark said before the Fever’s overtime victory Sunday against the Dream. ‘‘Like, you want to see her finish out this year, obviously. She’s had a historic year, and she’s done some incredible things.’’
Reese is the second rookie from the 2024 class to suffer a season-ending injury. Brink, the No. 2 overall pick, suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in June.
The Sky’s victory Sunday, coupled with the Dream’s loss to the Fever, left them with a one-game advantage in the battle for the eighth and final playoff spot with five games left in the regular season.
Chennedy Carter had 28 points, six assists and four rebounds to lead the Sky. Dana Evans added 11 points and four rebounds.
Brianna Turner and Diamond DeShields left the game with apparent injuries, but coach Teresa Weatherspoon didn’t have an update on their conditions afterward.
‘‘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.’’