Angel Reese’s run for the WNBA Rookie of the Year award is over, according to Jason Whitlock, who said “no serious person” should have her in the running for the award.
Whitlock, who began this season as a fierce critic of the Chicago Sky rookie, had previously softened his stance, saying she was “legitimizing” her case for the honor.
After Reese struggled with a 3-13 shooting day in a loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday, Whitlock has changed course again.
“Never again,” he wrote on X. “No serious person should ever discuss Angel Reese as rookie of the year again. She’s just too inexperienced on offense. She struggles with layups. She’s a decent rebounder. She’s not an ‘all star.’ She’s being used as a gimmick to belittle Clark.
He continued: “Reese played 36 minutes and had zero impact. The double-double gimmick ended today because Reese missed too many point-blank layups. It’s not just one bad game. She’s shooting an incredibly low percentage from 3-4 feet.”
Angel Reese struggled on the floor as the Chicago Sky lost 81-67 to the New York Liberty
And Jason Whitlock thinks it’s time to take her out of the Rookie of the Year discussions
Reese closed Saturday’s loss to Liberty with eight points and 16 rebounds, helping the Sky lose 81-67.
She also scored a -13 in 36 minutes.
Remarkably, Reese’s historic 15-game double-double streak came to an end when the Liberty players beat her by four in the final seconds of the game, forcing her to pass the ball.
The Sky are now 9-14 on the season and have lost twice to the Liberty in the last three days.
Reese has immediately shown herself to be an excellent rebounder at the professional level, but her shooting speed has been less than stellar, with her field percentage sitting at just 41.1 percent this season prior to Saturday’s game.
However, her double-double streak had opened Whitlock’s eyes and he had already changed his tune regarding the seventh pick.
New York’s Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich play alongside Chicago rookie Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark is seen as the favorite for Rookie of the Year because of her play with the Fever
“Angel Reese is making her case for rookie of the year, but that doesn’t mean I think she should be rookie of the year,” Whitlock said. “But someone has to be second, and Angel Reese is making her case for second.”
“And when you make a case for second place, that means you have a chance to make a case for first place,” Whitlock added. “And as long as Caitlin Clark is turning the ball over the way she is, and shooting poorly from the 3-point line the way she is, she’s leaving the door open for someone else to come in here.”
Clark, meanwhile, is filling up the stat sheet with 16.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists per game for the Indiana Fever.