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Angel Reese announced on social media that she has sustained a season-ending injury: a small bone tear in her wrist that can require surgery on Tuesday.

“I fell on my hand when I was doing the and-one when I fell backwards (and) fell on my hand and I have a little crack in the bone,” Reese said in a video she posted on TikTok late Sunday night.

“The doctors told me I could either not have surgery or I could have surgery. The risk of not having surgery – I could literally get arthritis at 22. That was not an option. The bone could literally break and completely shatter. Right now it looks like a hairline fracture… They're going to put a little screw in it. And I didn't want it to get any bigger.”

Reese said she’s going to should wear a tough solid for 4 weeks after which a soft solid for 2 weeks.

“Long term, I literally wouldn't have been able to play anymore because healing in that area is very difficult due to little to no blood flow,” she said, pointing to her right wrist, which was wrapped in a soft black solid.

Reese, the No. 7 pick within the draft, finished the season averaging 13.6 points and 13.1 rebounds, the very best rebounding average in WNBA history. Reese also set a rookie record with 26 double-doubles, her most up-to-date of which got here Friday night in a 92-78 win over Los Angeles.

Reese has been close with Indiana rookie Caitlin Clark for the reason that two met within the NCAA championship two years ago. Reese's LSU team emerged victorious and led the WNBA in rankings, attendance and merchandise sales this season.

“It's always sad when you see someone hurt, especially people you came into this league with,” Clark said Sunday. “You want her to be done for the year. She obviously had a historic year and did incredible things.”

“To me, her drive to play against her is up there — if not the best in the league. She just doesn't stop working. I thought she had a great year. I thought she came into the league and really did what she's done well her whole career, since I've known her. It's really devastating. You never want to see that from a player.”

Reese said she’s going to proceed to coach and take part in off-court ventures during her recovery.

“So in the meantime, I'm going to be in my cast for four weeks… during that time, I'm just going to be lifting weights, running, conditioning, shooting with my other hand, dribbling and doing stuff with my other hand and working on my diet,” Reese said. “(I'll) still model, still podcast, still be a bad guy… and support my teammates from afar. Well, not from afar, but from the bench… I still believe we're going to make the playoffs.”

In the video, Reese responded to social media speculation that she was pregnant, saying it was not true.

“That was never an issue… I want to make this very clear: I don't have a man to have kids with, I don't have a ring to have kids with, I'm 22 and I don't have kids. And I'm not going to have kids,” she said. “So that's not going to happen anytime soon. I just want you all to know that. Because I know you all like to have a few clicks.”

Chicago is currently within the last playoff spot, one game ahead of Atlanta. The Sky play against Washington on Wednesday.

The rosters for the 2024 WNBA All-Star Game have been set, with Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese making their debuts within the annual showcase later this month.

Clark, the Indiana Fever's No. 1 pick on this 12 months's WNBA Draft, received essentially the most votes within the fan vote. After already being named Rookie of the Month in May, she leads all first-year players in points (16.2 points per game) and assists (6.9 per game) and is second within the league in 3-pointers made (56).

On Tuesday, Reese, the Chicago Sky's No. 7 pick, was named Rookie of the Month for June. Last weekend, she set a WNBA season record for consecutive double-doubles (10) and was the WNBA's leading rebounder before Tuesday night's game. Like Clark, Reese finished in the highest five in fan voting.

The countdown begins…

Get ready for the last word battle of talents. #WNBAAllStar will face the U.S. Women's National Team on July 20 at 8:30 p.m. ET on ABC pic.twitter.com/oEyJciHmEx

— WNBA (@WNBA) July 3, 2024

The two newcomers are the one two participating for the primary time within the exhibition, which takes place on July 20 in Phoenix.

“I'm just so happy. I know how much work I put in,” Reese said. “Coming into this league, so many people doubted me, didn't think my game would come through and I wouldn't be the player I was in college. … But I trusted the process and believed in it and am thankful that I fell back to (pick No. 7) and was able to come to Chicago.”

It is the primary time since 2014 that two newcomers are participating in the sport.

The 12 members of the 2024 U.S. Olympic team received automatic spots within the All-Star Game. Phoenix Mercury guard Diana Taurasi, who’s making her sixth Olympic appearance, will even be making her eleventh All-Star Game. Her teammate, center Brittney Griner, will probably be making her tenth All-Star Game, including the 2022 12 months wherein she was an honorary participant.

The initial All-Star selections were made through a mixture of fan voting (50 percent), a national panel of media representatives (25 percent) and current WNBA players (25 percent). The remainder of the roster was chosen by the coaches.

The game format will once more be Team USA versus Team WNBA. In 2021, the last time this format was used, Team WNBA defeated the US Olympic team.

Team WNBA:

• DeWanna Bonner, Connecticut Sun (sixth All-Star Game)
• Aliyah Boston, Indiana Fever (second)
• Caitlin Clark, Indiana Fever (first)
• Allisha Gray, Atlanta Dream (Second)
• Dearica Hamby, Los Angeles Sparks (third)
• Brionna Jones, Connecticut Sun (third)
• Jonquel Jones, New York Liberty (fifth)
• Kayla McBride, Minnesota Lynx (fourth)
• Kelsey Mitchell, Indiana Fever (Second)
• Arike Ogunbowale, Dallas Wings (fourth)
• Nneka Ogwumike, Seattle Storm (ninth)
• Angel Reese, Chicago Sky (first)

Team USA:

• Napheesa Collier, Minnesota Lynx (fourth)
• Kahleah Copper, Phoenix Mercury (fourth)
• Chelsea Gray, Las Vegas Aces (sixth)
• Brittney Griner, Phoenix Mercury (10.)
• Sabrina Ionescu, New York Liberty (third)
• Jewell Lloyd, Seattle Storm (6.)
• Kelsey Plum, Las Vegas Aces (third)
• Breanna Stewart, New York Liberty (sixth)
• Diana Taurasi, Phoenix Mercury (11.)
• Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun (Fifth)
• A'ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces (sixth)
• Jackie Young, Las Vegas Aces (third)

Were there any rejections?

As my colleague Sabreena Merchant and I wrote last week, choosing the WNBA team was at all times going to be difficult. There are reasonable arguments for every of the players chosen. And all teams except one (Washington Mystics) have at the very least one player within the tryouts.

However, possible absences include Storm center Ezi Magbegor, Lynx center Alanna Smith and Liberty wing Betnijah Laney-Hamilton. Magbegor is within the running for Defensive Player of the Year honors. She leads the WNBA in blocks (42), is seventh in rebounds per game (8.7), third in offensive rebounds per game (2.9), third in defensive win shares and fourth in total win shares. Earlier this season, she recorded at the very least three blocks in eight consecutive games, the second-longest streak in WNBA history.

Smith is the mainstay of a Lynx defense that has had the WNBA's best defensive rating (91.3) since 2007. This season, she has set recent profession highs in points, assists, steals and blocks. She is fourth in defensive win shares and has also shot a career-high 46.4 percent from 3-point range. Smith and Magbegor are expected to be key players on the Australian national team this summer, but with neither participating within the WNBA All-Star Game, just one international player is in contention (Jonquel Jones).

“I thought she had a good chance, too,” Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve said. “She's really good, too, and we're a good team with a good record. … I just know these things aren't easy.”

Heading into Tuesday night's game against the Lynx, New York's versatile wing Laney-Hamilton led all WNBA players who’ve played in greater than five games in net rating (plus-19.9), and she or he's once more certainly one of the WNBA's best defenders.

Fever is essentially the most represented franchise within the WNBA team

After having no players on the U.S. Olympic team, the Fever had three players (Clark, Boston and Mitchell) named to Team WNBA, greater than every other franchise. Boston, who averages 13.1 points and eight.3 rebounds per game, finished second within the fan vote and was routinely named to the team because she was ranked in the highest 10.

Like Boston, Mitchell is making her second consecutive All-Star appearance. She averages 16.3 points per game and was certainly one of eight players chosen for the All-Star game after coaches' voting.

McBride and Hamby are the highlights of the All-Star returnees

McBride, the Lynx defenseman, is participating within the All-Star Game for the primary time since 2019. She is Minnesota's second-leading scorer at 15.8 points per game, her highest output since 2018, and the Lynx have the very best record within the Western Conference (14-4) before Tuesday.

“I'm excited,” Reeve said. “I thought this was going to be a no-brainer, but I'm excited to see it happen. She's had an incredible season so far. Career-best scoring and just the way we count on her, defense, passing, everything we ask her to do, playmaking. She just does everything for us.”

Hamby is making her third All-Star appearance and first since 2022. After being traded within the 2023 offseason, Hamby is appearing in the sport just over a 12 months after giving birth to her second child. She leads Los Angeles with career-highs of 18.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. She will even compete with the U.S. team's 3×3 squad on the Paris Olympics.

Required reading

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.

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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.

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.

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.

The most controversial umpire in baseball is ending his profession. Angel Hernandez, who has been criticized by many in the game for many years, will retire.

According to a baseball source, MLB first approached Hernandez a couple of possible retirement earlier this season. Criticism grew louder and Hernandez was able to move on. He hasn't refereed a game since May 9, because the two sides reached a financial agreement.

“He was NOT forced to resign,” Hernandez's attorney Kevin Murphy said via text message. His departure is anticipated to be immediate.

Hernandez refereed his first MLB game in 1991. Over the past decade, he has courted controversy. From his large and inconsistent strike zone to his quick dismissals to his unsuccessful lawsuit against MLB for discrimination in 2017, he has made headlines in a career where most prefer to remain out of the highlight.

USA today announced his resignation for the primary timeShortly after the news broke Monday night, MLB released a press release from Hernandez confirming his retirement.

“Since my first major league game in 1991, I have had the very positive experience of realizing my childhood dream of working as a major league umpire,” the statement said. “There is nothing better than doing a job that you enjoy. I have greatly appreciated the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made over time, including those of our locker room staff in different cities.”

“I decided that I wanted to spend more time with my family. Needless to say, there have been many positive changes since I entered the sport of baseball. This includes the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud to have been able to play an active role in this goal as a Major League umpire.”

Aside from what Hernandez said in his statement, it’s unclear what prompted his decision, but it surely is feasible that the vitriol directed at him played a job.

“What hurts him most,” Murphy said in a recent profile, “is the pain his two daughters and his wife go through knowing that (the criticism) is so incredibly unjustified.”

One of the explanations the league turned to Hernandez was the constant distraction he caused. Players within the gaming industry have long been calling for Hernandez to depart the industry.

“Every year. It's the same story,” Bryce Harper said last season. “Same thing.”

“He needs to find another job,” Ian Kinsler said in 2017.

“I don’t understand why he makes these plays,” CC Sabathia said in 2018.

Even MLB criticized Hernandez, although most of that criticism got here through court filings, saying his decision-making and handling of conflict prevented him from being promoted to full-time crew chief.

MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred alluded to the umpires' retirement process while talking to reporters at MLB's owners' meetings last week, but didn’t mention Hernandez directly.

“Managing referees is … a physically demanding job,” Manfred said. “It goes beyond just evaluation, training and discipline. It also involves things like their career path, how long they should be on the job. And that also impacts things like your retirement plan.”

Required reading

NEW YORK – Longtime umpire Ángel Hernández, who unsuccessfully sued Major League Baseball for racial discrimination, is retiring effective immediately.

Over the course of a profession that spanned greater than three a long time, the 62-year-old Hernández was often despised by players, coaches and fans for missed decisions and quick dismissals – a few of them in spectacular situations.

Hernández issued an announcement via MLB on Monday night, saying he decided he desired to spend more time together with his family.

“Since my first major league game in 1991, I have realized my childhood dream of being a major league umpire. There is nothing better than doing a job that you enjoy. I value the camaraderie of my colleagues and the friendships I have made over time, including those of our locker room staff in different cities,” said Hernández.

“It goes without saying that there have been many positive changes in baseball since I entered the sport, including the expansion and promotion of minorities. I am proud to have been able to play an active role in this goal as a major league umpire.”

Last summer, Hernández lost his racial discrimination lawsuit against MLB for the second time when a federal appeals court declined to retry his case. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit affirmed a 2021 district court decision granting summary judgment to MLB.

Hernández filed suit in 2017, claiming he was discriminated against because he had not been assigned to the World Series since 2005 and was omitted for the crew chief position. He served as interim crew chief from 2011 to 2016.

“Hernández failed to demonstrate a statistically significant difference between the promotion rates of white and minority umpires,” the 2nd Circuit said in an 11-page decision. “MLB presented compelling expert evidence showing that, in the years at issue, the difference in crew chief promotion rates between white and minority umpires was not statistically significant.”

“Hernández offers no explanation for why MLB's statistical evidence is unreliable.”

Born in Cuba, Hernández was hired as a serious league umpire in 1993. He has worked two World Series (2002, 2005), three All-Star Games (1999, 2009, 2017) and eight League Championship Series, together with his last task within the LCS in 2016.

In Game 3 of the 2018 AL Division Series between the New York Yankees and the Boston Red Sox, video replays overturned three calls by Hernández at first base.

CHICAGO – If you desire to understand how quickly the WNBA is changing, just watch Angel Reese's week.

On Monday, her twenty second birthday, the Chicago Sky newcomer took an unusual outing after training in suburban Deerfield.

When people leave the Sachs Center, a Park District gym in a strip mall, they sometimes go for some ramen at Jimmy Thai or a coffee at Dunkin' Donuts. If you actually feel like ruining your workout, go across the road to Portillo's.

Reese, who’s slightly different than the common player, rookie or not, went to the Met Gala.

“These new kids,” veteran guard Diamond DeShields said with fun and a sigh. “You did it.”

Happy Birthday, @Reese10Angel ! The basketball superstar makes her first appearance #MetGala Look to wear tonight @16Arlington.

See more @TheMarkHotelNY Departures here: https://t.co/dCcxppu9YC pic.twitter.com/pnNtFCOHpA

– WWD (@wwd) May 6, 2024

Rocking a custom dress from British label 16Arlington, Reese enjoyed the evening among the many glitterati after which flew back to Chicago to organize for work on Tuesday. She scored 13 points and added five rebounds in 19 minutes because the Sky defeated the New York Liberty in a 101-53 preseason victory.

“I went to the Met Gala, beat the Met Gala in New York, came back and beat New York,” she said. “That’s what I do.”

“Angel is one of a kind,” DeShields said. “She is incredibly unique. I think it's really cool that she got the opportunity to go to the Met Gala. I mean, I’m still waiting for my invitation.”

And the Sky – who will not be expected to be anywhere near their competitors and shall be without their top draft pick Kamilla Cardoso for 4 to 6 weeks resulting from a shoulder injury – made for a meaningless preseason game in Chicago rightly caused a stir.

Reese brought her shine to the team. While No. 1 pick Caitlin Clark is the undisputed frontrunner in WNBA rookie stardom – She killed on Saturday Night Live before the draft – Reese is not any slouch. That's not why she was chosen No. 7 overall — she's a ferocious rebounder and expert inside scorer — nevertheless it doesn't hurt to have star power for a team that's getting its share of the eye economy in a crowded market seeks. The Sky were led by hometown legend Candace Parker as they lit up the town and won the 2021 WNBA title, but that shine quickly faded.

Now it's a brand new team and a brand new time. It's Reese's time.

On Tuesday, her viral trip to New York caused some intrigue: How would she play? — after which Chicago Bears Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen showed up and sat courtside, turning a game otherwise only open to season ticket holders right into a scene.

This Chi-Town love hits in another way

Keenan Allen, Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze from the @chicagobears and Coby White from the @Chicago Bulls pulled as much as support the sky! pic.twitter.com/UKgWiUY608

– WNBA (@WNBA) May 8, 2024

It's normal for Chicago athletes to indicate as much as Sky games – Williams, the Bears' No. 1 pick, adds slightly extra pizzazz wherever he goes – but Reese, at all times considering big, expects that This shall be a recurring story once in a while on the road.

“Everyone will stand trial,” she said. “The celebrities shall be in court. Be aware that the who's who shall be in court. I used to be on the Met Gala and Usher (he said) goes to attempt to get to a game in Vegas and Cardi B. I do know some people you may not think I do know, but I do.”

The big news in the league right now is commissioner Cathy Engelbert's surprise announcement (seriously, even the teams didn't know it was going to happen) that the WNBA will begin charter flights. The money is coming and it's time for the WNBA to invest in its game. No more travel delays ruining a day off.

Of course, Reese got to New York so quickly on a private plane. Again she is different.

“I did my hair and makeup on the plane,” she said. “My two girls and one of my friends got on the plane with me. We do hair and makeup on the plane, blow dry and flat iron, which is crazy, but it turned out great as you can see.”

With young celebrities like Reese and Clark in the league and the attention they bring them, perhaps that's one reason the WNBA is finally granting players' long-held desire for charter flights.

“I’m glad the league was proactive,” said veteran Sky forward Elizabeth Williams. “We live in a time where Angel has three million followers. She has a spotlight on her that none of us have, and we have nothing to compare it to. And rather than there being an incident, I think this is a proactive measure.”

After all the hubbub, Reese said that if she had had a bad game against the Liberty, what she would have heard in her head was her ex-coach at LSU, the ever-disgruntled Kim Mulkey, if not her current Sky head coach Teresa Weatherspoon. So she made sure she was ready to play, even if it was just a preseason game. Reese could make a living as a social media influencer, but that's her career.

“I already knew the expectations that came with it, like having to be locked in and focused on my matches,” she said. “I took my encounters seriously. I watched a movie on the plane. I wanted to go back. People at the Met Gala were like, 'Do you want to party after?' I said no, I have a game tomorrow. I have to watch a movie. I prioritize everything. Since I also go to school, I have a busy schedule with a lot to do. But like I said, you need to maximize your 24 hours.”

Weatherspoon, one of the greatest basketball players of all time, has yet to coach an actual WNBA game, but she's clearly comfortable enough to give her players the opportunity to be themselves. It bodes well for her as she oversees a largely new squad with limited outside expectations of victory.

She really enjoyed Reese's trip. Weatherspoon said Reese “deserved this chance to go away, and as her head coach, I'm not going to take that away from her.”

“How did I do know I could trust Angel Reese?” she said. “Angel does angelic things, so I know she knows how to prioritize.”

At Sky's media day on Wednesday, Reese spoke about the duality of her life and her image on and off the pitch.

“I always felt like I wanted to be the sweet, pretty girl on the court, but I also wanted to be a dog and have that dog mentality,” she said. “That’s why I want to continue to make it clear to women and convey that you can do both.”

The idea that female basketball players reach their peak in college is stupid. At 22, Reese's career and life are just beginning. Her WNBA career hasn't started yet, but it's safe to assume we'll be talking about her for a long time.

No player is irreplaceable, not even an aging, broken, 2030-signed Mike Trout. But with Trout's recent injury, the terrifying thought that he could spend the remaining of his profession with the Los Angeles Angels is getting closer to reality.

Trout, who turns 33 on Aug. 7, is anticipated to miss not less than 8 to 12 weeks while he recovers from surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his left knee. He is guaranteed $35.45 million this season and the following six seasons. For example, even when he got here back on August 1st and had success, which team would trust him enough this offseason to tackle most or all of his remaining $212.7 million? From 2021 to 2023, Trout missed more games than he played. And since he's historically a slow healer, he's not exactly on target to reverse that trend in 2024.

“We can do it” @EricaLWeston @Angels l #RepTheHalo pic.twitter.com/2pxLf8JJfn

— Bally Sports West (@BallySportWest) May 1, 2024

Of course, a trout trade was still removed from possible. To the dismay of many opposing fans, the three-time MVP and 11-time All-Star steadfastly refused to go away Anaheim, claiming he desired to spend his entire profession with one team like his boyhood idol, Derek Jeter, winning with the Angels.

At the beginning of spring training, Trout said he was “pushing, pushing, pushing” upper management to herald free agents, perhaps a sign of his growing impatience. Well, his fuse needed to be shorter. He waited too long.

In order for a trading scenario to change into realistic, the next was mandatory:

• The angels stink again, which was anything but a given.

• Trout to A) return to near-MVP form, which not less than had a probability before he injured his knee; and B) request a trade, which even Angels fans would have understood considering he has never won a postseason game since 2014 and hasn't even appeared within the playoffs.

• Angels owner Arte Moreno is showing his willingness to not only fulfill Trout's wish but additionally sink significant sums right into a trade that…never materialized.

Recall that Moreno has repeatedly refused to approve a trade of Shohei Ohtani, though it might have brought a monster return that might have given impetus to his woeful franchise. He then declined so as to add a $680 million deferment to the Los Angeles Dodgers' $700 million offer to Ohtani, a deal that might well repay. Mind you, Ohtani didn’t take the Angels’ money. But all of the Angels are getting in return for him now’s, oh yeah, the 74th pick within the 2024 draft.

With a reduced annual salary – $15 million? 20 million dollars? – Some clubs should still want trout. High-payout deals have change into increasingly common during the last quarter century. Moreno made some serious money, sending greater than $28 million to the New York Yankees in March 2013 to release Vernon Wells and $63 million to the Texas Rangers Getting rid of Josh Hamilton in April 2015. Wells was now not a productive player. Hamilton angered Moreno by falling back into drug abuse. In contrast, the Trout is a model citizen and elite player when healthy, a favourite of the Moreno.

The Angels received virtually nothing for Wells and Hamilton. For Trout, Moreno would probably want, oh yeah, six top-100 prospects, especially if he were to part with tens of hundreds of thousands to make the deal occur. The actual business value of the trout could be much lower even with a smaller financial commitment. So good luck convincing Moreno to try this. He didn't need to trade Ohtani when he had a couple of probability to make the identical deal the Washington Nationals made for Juan Soto.

And where are the angels now? I'm sticking with two players, Trout and Anthony Rendon, who will earn a combined nearly $75 million per 12 months until Rendon's contract expires in 2026, but can't stay on the sphere. At this point, Trout's tolerance for Moreno's erratic administration becomes less comprehensible. The team is a large number, has been a large number and will likely be a large number for not less than the following few years.

's Keith Law ranked the Angels' farm system twenty ninth out of 30, ahead of only the Oakland A's. Even if the Angels by some means turn things around by the tip of Trout's contract, how productive will a player be in his late 30s? His early 30s actually didn't go well.

In spring training, Trout told me he heard he was completely satisfied with the Angels, didn't need to win and wasn't demanding a trade. In an interview I did with him for Fox Sports, he said, “It drives me more.” He was confident he would get back into shape soon and said just the considered the likelihood gave him a thrill Give you goosebumps. And the way in which he was playing, a 50-homer, 30-stolen-base season – proof that he was still the GOAT, or not less than one in every of the present top players – seemed within sight.

His seriousness stays one in every of his loveliest qualities. The suggestion that he doesn't need to operate in a more demanding market has at all times seemed far-fetched to those that know him best, who see how hard he works, who witness his competitive spirit. But Trout's desire to succeed with the Angels somewhat than elsewhere seemed a fantastic notion to most outsiders.

Equipped with full no-trade protection, he could have worked his approach to the Philadelphia Phillies, the team closest to his hometown of Millville, New Jersey. He could have fit right into a clubhouse stuffed with hungry stars — Bryce Harper, Trea Turner and Kyle Schwarber , Zack Wheeler and Aaron Nola. And he might have been celebrated for escaping a nasty situation as an alternative of criticized for staying there.

It didn’t need to be the Phillies. It might have been virtually any applicant with flexible payroll. And there didn't need to be a deal. Trout signed two contract extensions with the Angels when he could have change into a free agent at ages 26 and 29. His loyalty was commendable. But at once he looks like a modern-day equivalent of Ernie Banks, who holds the key league record for many games played in a profession without making the playoffs (2,528).

Banks, playing in a period without free agency, never had the chance to decide on one other team. For most of his profession, only the league champions made the playoffs and met within the World Series. He was a preferred character generally known as Mr. Cub. He made it into the Hall of Fame. But for a lot of, there was at all times something missing, some aspect of his legacy that might have been.

Trout is heading into similar territory after his recent injury. More than ever, he seems destined to stay Mr. Angel. As good as his intentions could have been, it is extremely sad to say.