Angel Reese’s Unmatched season has been halted on account of a wrist damage she suffered final week — however the Chicago Sky starn nonetheless leaves with a number of {hardware}. On Saturday, the league introduced that followers, media, gamers, and coaches voted her the league’s Defensive Participant of the 12 months, an introduced that got here simply a few days after her All-Unmatched Second Staff choice was shared.
In the course of the inaugural Unmatched season, Reese led Unmatched in rebounds, grabbing 12.2 boards per sport, and led the Rose membership in blocked pictures, with 0.6 blocks per sport. Reese was the anchor all season for the Rose’s protection, which allowed simply 65.2 factors per sport — the fewest within the league.
SB Nation’s Unmatched Defensive Participant of the 12 months poll had Napheesa Collier at No. 1, Breanna Stewart at No. 2, and Reese at No. 3. Collier and Brittney Griner led the league in blocks, every averaging 1.4 an evening, whereas Collier led the league in steals, averaging two a sport.
Angel Reese has a extremely profitable inaugural Unmatched season
Reese’s biggest power as a defender throughout the Unmatched season proved to be her versatility; whereas different bigs struggled to comprise guards alongside the perimeter, Reese proved in a position to change onto almost everybody and flourished in Unmatched’s fast-paced sport, on each ends.
Reese turned to social media to precise her gratitude for the win, writing: “God, thanks for getting me via the highs & lows! Be the place your toes are & enable your self progress!”
Reese will miss the Rose membership’s postseason sport on Sunday evening in opposition to the Laces, after struggling a hand damage that stored her out of the second half of the ultimate sport of the common season. Nonetheless, she had a robust first yr in Unmatched, averaging 13.1 factors per sport. She was the league’s main rebounder and offensive rebounder, completed second in double-doubles, and recorded the primary 20-20 sport in Unmatched historical past.
Earlier than the season, Rose Membership head coach Nola Henry mentioned that she anticipated Reese to dominate the glass as she has her entire profession.
“For Angel, it doesn’t matter, 3-on-3, 5-on-5, faculty, WNBA — she’s an unbelievable rebounder, proper?” Henry mentioned. “I anticipate to see rebounding from her… that’s simply what she’s finished her complete profession.”
Whereas no particulars about her damage have been introduced, her absence on Sunday will function a large blow for a Rose Membership that gained 6 of its remaining 8 common season video games en path to the league’s second-best file. She hasn’t been formally dominated out of a possible championship sport on Monday, nevertheless it appears unlikely she’ll be obtainable for such a match-up at this level.
