Angel Reese’s bid for WNBA Rookie of the Year has ended in the eyes of Jason Whitlock, who insisted that “no serious person” should have her in contention for the award.
Whitlock, who began this season as a staunch critic of the Chicago Sky rookie, previously softened his stance, saying he was “legitimizing” his case for the honor.
However, after Reese struggled to put together a 3-for-13 shooting day in a loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday, Whitlock took another turn.
“Never again,” he wrote in X. “No serious person should ever talk about Angel Reese as rookie of the year again. She’s too inexperienced offensively. She struggles to make layups. She’s a good rebounder. She’s not a ‘star.’ They’re using her as a gimmick to belittle Clark.
He continued: “Reese played 36 minutes and had no impact. The double-double stunt ended today because Reese missed too many point-blank layups. It’s not just a bad game. She shoots an incredibly low percentage from 3 or 4 feet.”
Angel Reese struggled from the court as the Chicago Sky lost to the New York Liberty 81-67
And Jason Whitlock thinks it’s time to remove her from the Rookie of the Year discussion.
Reese finished Saturday’s loss to Liberty with eight points and 16 rebounds as the Sky fell 81-67.
He also finished -13 in 36 minutes.
Reese’s historic 15-game streak with a double-double came to an end when Liberty players guarded her four times in the final seconds of the game, forcing her to pass the ball.
The Sky now have a 9-14 record on the season and have lost to the Liberty twice in the last three days.
Reese has immediately proven she’s an elite rebounder at the pro level, but she hasn’t shot the ball efficiently, as she was shooting just 41.1 percent from the field on the season entering Saturday’s game.
However, his double-double streak had opened Whitlock’s eyes and he had previously changed his tune regarding the No. 7 overall pick.
New York’s Nyara Sabally and Leonie Fiebich attack Chicago rookie Angel Reese
Caitlin Clark is seen as the favorite for Rookie of the Year due to her play with the Fever.
“Angel Reese is legitimizing her candidacy for rookie of the year, but that doesn’t mean she thinks she should be rookie of the year,” Whitlock said. “But someone has to finish second, and Angel Reese is making a case for her candidacy for second.”
“And if you’re defending the second spot, that means you have a chance to defend the first spot,” Whitlock added. “And as long as Caitlin Clark keeps turning the ball over like she’s doing and shooting poorly from the three-point line like she’s doing, she’s leaving the door ajar for someone else to come in here.”
Meanwhile, Clark is filling up the stat sheet with 16.8 points, 5.9 rebounds and 7.8 assists per night for the Indiana Fever.