Angel Reese outplays Caitlin Clark, NaLyssa Smith and Aliyah Boston to make Rookie of Year case

Angel Reese backed up her trash talk to help the Chicago Sky come back from a 15-point deficit to defeat the Indiana Fever, 88-87, on Sunday. She exchanged words with Fever forward NaLyssa Smith all afternoon, but Smith had no answer for the former LSU star down the stretch.

Reese finished with 25 points and 16 rebounds , making a statement in an entertaining WNBA Rookie of the Year race even as fellow newcomer Caitlin Clark set a personal best in assists with 13.

Aliyah Boston , last year's Rookie of the Year, had a chance to hit a game-winner in the final second but missed a contested mid-range jumper following a dish from Clark.

READ MORE: WNBA star Caitlin Clark blasted for 'flop' complaint against Chicago Sky
READ MORE: A'ja Wilson's new Nike logo explained after fans confused by design

"I'm a dawg, you can't teach that," Reese told ESPN on the court in a postgame interview. "I'm gonna go out and do whatever it takes to win every single night. My teammates rely on my energy, so being able to continue the energy even when we're down ... that's what I do."

She added: "I try to give myself some grace, I'm really hard on myself. And I'm really happy we won, that matters more than anything."

When it was pointed out to Kamilla Cardoso, another standout Sky rookie, that Reese and her had combined to out-rebound the entire Fever team on Sunday, Cardoso suggested such an accomplishment should be expected. After all, she predicted on WNBA Draft night that Chicago would dominate the boards.

READ MORE: Dallas Wings WNBA nightmare grows even as top-five pick Jacy Sheldon shows signs of life

"That's something we work on," Cardoso told reporters. "[Angel] has been really good [rebounding] since college, and her game is translating really well. I'm picking up on that too.

"I want to be a rebounder, I want to be effective making layups. So that's just something we work on."

Cardoso added: "I'm just so excited. Our future is bright, and I'm just so proud of [Angel] and everything that she's doing out there."

A shoulder injury caused Cardoso to miss about a month of action, likely derailing her own Rookie of the Year hopes, and Los Angeles Sparks star Cameron Brink dropped from the running after she tore her ACL .

Aaliyah Edwards, selected in the first round by the Washington Mystics, has played well and is averaging 8.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per contest on 50 percent shooting. She's missed the past two games with back soreness, though, and remains a long-shot candidate.

That likely leaves Reese and Clark as the 2024 WNBA Rookie of the Year race leaders. Based on their stellar play Sunday, the competition could go down to the wire.