Even in a game where Angel Reese was ejected, her impact was undeniable. The Chicago Sky rookie was ejected for a second technical foul with just over two minutes left in Tuesday's loss to the New York Liberty. Her second foul was waived by the WNBA a day later.
Still, Reese had already put up 13 points and 10 rebounds, her second double-double. That's the sort of stat Chicago is already on the lookout for from the No. 7 pick in April's draft. Reese has been consistently good in the course of the first month of the WNBA season, but she's not the one player from her rookie class to achieve this.
From their final college seasons to the WNBA Draft to the beginning of their skilled careers, these rookies have brought recent star power and an intriguing dynamic to the league. They're working through the kinks as they adjust to a better level, but there's little doubt they're making significant accomplishments.
I feel the love, Skytown 💙 pic.twitter.com/nK2wIbN9lR
– Chicago Sky (@chicagosky) 26 May 2024
Although it looks like the yr has just begun, some franchises have one way or the other already passed the quarter-season mark. Here's our take a look at the highest five rookies in the primary month of the season.
15.6 points per game | 6.4 attacks per game | 5.1 RPG
Clark has been the focal point in her first month within the WNBA, especially last week. But despite some struggles, she has still found ways to perform. She is aggressively attacking the basket and has already attempted 48 free throws, the seventh-most within the WNBA. She has also impacted Indiana's offense, although she hasn't made nearly as many three-pointers as she did at Iowa. Reese has undoubtedly earned a spot because the No. 1 pick, but Clark also has to bear considerably more defensive pressure than every other rookie. Her usage rate of 25.8% is higher than WNBA stars reminiscent of Skylar Diggins-Smith, Breanna Stewart, Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu. She has shown teething issues, but in addition reasons for optimism. The focus in June needs to be to cut back turnovers, as Clark leads the league (56) and has 21 greater than Phoenix Mercury guard Natasha Cloud, who ranks second.
GO DEEPER
Has Caitlin Clark lived as much as expectations in her WNBA rookie season to this point? Experts discuss
2. Angel Reese, Chicago Sky
10.8 points per game | 9.0 RPG | 5.0 ORPG
At LSU, Reese recorded double-doubles almost every night. So far, she's been pretty close. Before Thursday night's game against the Washington Mystics, Reese had no less than 8 points and eight rebounds in six of her eight games.
Reese's impact on Chicago has been palpable. She is the perfect rookie with 9 rebounds per game and the perfect WNBA player with a mean of 5 offensive rebounds per game. Sky coach Teresa Weatherspoon, a Naismith Hall of Famer, has taken a liking to Reese's performance, especially on the basket.
“It's a talent,” Weatherspoon said two weeks ago. “She's just relentless. She chases the ball relentlessly, and that's her personality, that's her thing.”
Reese continuously manages to secure good rebounds and aggressively attacks the basket when she shouldn’t be blocked by opposing bigs. On offense, she has also shown that she shouldn’t be afraid of physical contact, attempting no less than six free throws in six different games.
Reese's impact was evident in her game despite other limitations, making her first month particularly impressive.
So far, her offense has evolved almost exclusively across the basket. According to Synergy Sports, she has attempted just nine jump shots this season and made only one. She has also struggled across the basket, shooting just 29.9 percent. Still, one goal of the Sky's opponents is to downplay Reese's importance.
Improving her long-range shooting and skill to complete across the basket will likely be paramount to her development. Chicago defender Marina Mabrey has also only assisted Reese on six baskets, a sign that Chicago's pick-and-roll game still has room for improvement. But if that is Reese's court, the Sky have loads of reasons to be optimistic concerning the future.
8.0 points per game | 5.4 shots per game | 2.6 balls per game
Brink, like Reese and Clark, has already shown signs of the talents that made her a star at Stanford. Although the Sparks are only 2-7, Brink scored a career-high 21 points in 23 minutes against the Dallas Wings on May 26 and grabbed no less than five rebounds six times. Coach Curt Miller hasn't expanded the No. 2 pick's use. Brink has never played greater than half-hour in a game, but she has shown off her offensive repertoire. She's been solid in catch-and-shoot opportunities and appears confident across the basket, shooting 63 percent from the sector, in accordance with Synergy Sports. Although Brink earned a popularity as a vaunted blocker in college (and is averaging 2.6 blocks per game to this point), some opposing bigs have had success when facing her. Brink allows 43.9 percent shooting to bigs she defends.
Despite the relatively limited playing time, Rickea Jackson's three-point shots and rebounds stood out. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
9.1 points per game | 3.0 rebounds per game | 46.7 FG
Jackson has played the fewest minutes (208) of any player in my current top five, but she has taken her opportunities. She has the third-most three-pointers (seven) amongst rookies, but has the second-best percentage of any rookies with no less than 10 attempts (only Alissa Pili is best). She has been a solid rebounder (3.0 per game) and has shown the power to attain in a wide range of ways, sometimes aggressive in transition, other times from behind the arc or charging to the basket. She has converted no less than 50 percent of her shot attempts in five of nine games, although she has done so just once since being named to the starting lineup on May 28.
6.6 PPG | 5.0 APG | 2.6 RPGs
Uzun is making her WNBA debut this summer, but twiddling with – and against – a few of the perfect players on the earth is nothing recent for her. The 26-year-old guard played for Turkish EuroLeague champions Fenerbahçe last winter, where she played alongside such notables as Napheesa Collier, Kayla McBride, Natasha Howard, Nina Milic and Emma Meesseman. Uzun made the Wings' inaugural roster after signing a training camp contract and was catapulted into the franchise's starting lineup.
She was immediately trusted to bring out the perfect in a team with top-four aspirations. Uzun is averaging 31.3 minutes per game, second most on the roster and second most amongst rookies behind Clark. Although she still has to work out how you can play alongside Arike Ogunbowale, early results are positive. Twelve of Uzun's 40 assists have gone to Ogunbowale, and he or she has also found Dallas bigs Teaira McCowan and Monique Billings on multiple occasions. In addition to her offensive playmaking, the 5-foot-10 Uzun has been a wonderful defender to this point, along with her opponents sinking just 28.6 percent of the shots she defended, in accordance with Synergy Sports.
🇹🇷Our national player Sevgi Uzun, who began in the primary 5 last night and had 26:24 minutes left on the sector, finished the sport with 4 points (1-8 FG, 2-2 FT), 2 rebounds, 4 assists and 1 steal.pic.twitter.com/FH2dwrQ6II https://t.co/QnJHxul5Ml
— Women's Hoops (@womenhoop) June 6, 2024
She plays fearlessly on each ends. Exhibit A: The ball didn't go down, but she nearly made the shot of the yr when she took a throw-in from Sun center Brionna Jones with lower than 10 seconds left in a one-point game, took her own pass and sank it.
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