Why isn't Angel Reese in the WNBA Playoffs? Latest on star rookie's status

The 2024 WNBA Playoffs will begin on with first-round matchups on Sunday, Sept. 22.

The Chicago Sky are longshots to make the eight-team playoff field , and should they get there, they will be without star rookie and sensational forward Angel Reese .

Here's the latest on Angel Reese's status with the WNBA Playoffs just days away.

What is the latest on Angel Reese?

Angel Reese, the dynamic rookie who was locked in a tightening WNBA Rookie of the Year race, decided in early September to have surgery on her left wrist .

The procedure ended Reese's season and eliminated any chances of her appearing in the WNBA playoffs.

Reese, the No. 7 pick by the Chicago Sky and the best rebounder in the league at 13.1 boards per game, announced that she would miss the remainder of the season before the September 8 game against the Dallas Wings .

The culprit: A hairline fracture in her left wrist that, if not treated immediately, could lead to a completely shattered bone.

The injury, which Reese suffered on Friday, Sept. 6 vs. the Sparks when she fell hard after an and-one, is minor enough now that doctors "gave me options to play," Reese said. But they warned her if she went that route, she could have arthritis issues almost immediately, which Reese said "wasn’t an option." There’s also the possibility that the crack could grow bigger quickly and shatter the bone completely.

Chicago coach Teresa Weatherspoon was vague when asked about Reese’s injury before the Sky took on Dallas in a must-win game with playoff implications.

Chicago Sky would face New York Liberty in WNBA playoffs

Should the Chicago Sky make the WNBA playoffs, as the eighth seed, it would face the top-seeded New York Liberty in a three-game opening round series.

Making the WNBA playoffs is one thing; knocking off the powerhouse New York Liberty is another beast entirely.

The Liberty are lead by top scorers Sabrina Ionescu and Breanna Stewart.

Ionescu and Stewart were members of the 2024 US Women's Basketball team that won a gold medal after defeating France in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games .

Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.

This article originally appeared on Bucks County Courier Times: Why isn't Angel Reese in the WNBA Playoffs? Latest on star rookie's status