Angel Reese’s sensational debut season has come to an end due to a wrist injury he suffered Friday against the Los Angeles Sparks, the team announced Saturday night.

Reese, the No. 7 pick in the 2024 draft and a star champion for LSU, made a statement in her first season in the WNBA. She had 26 double-doubles, the second-most in a season, and earlier this summer she set a WNBA record with 15 consecutive double-doubles.

Reese’s scoring averages last season were 13.6 points, 13.1 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game.

Thanks to her outstanding play, Reese was selected for the All-Star title. Together with Caitlin Clark, her college rival and her main competitor in the race for Rookie of the Year, she became the first rookie pair to be selected for the All-Star title since 2014. Reese was Chicago’s fourth rookie All-Star and the first since 2013.

Ahead of their match against the Dallas Wings on Sunday, Reese was initially listed as questionable on Sky’s injury report.

“What a year,” Reese posted on social media on Saturday. “I never thought the last bucket of my rookie season would be a 3 but maybe God said they needed a taste of what they’re going to see more of in Year 2 lol.

“I am filled with emotion right now, having a season-ending injury, but also filled with so much gratitude for what is to come. Even though this is God’s timing and not mine, I can finally give myself a physical and mental break. ‘God gives his toughest battles to his strongest soldiers.'”

Before the draft, pro talent evaluators were divided on how Reese’s game would translate to the pros, but her motor and rebounding shined in unprecedented fashion at the next level. She became the first player in league history to grab 20 or more rebounds in consecutive games, doing so in three straight. Her 446 rebounds in 34 games are the most in a single season in WNBA history, and her rebounding average is on pace to become the highest in a single season.

Reese’s popularity and pop culture presence also helped bring a new wave of fans and relevance to the WNBA. In addition to amassing 4.3 million followers on TikTok and 4.1 million on Instagram, she attended the Met Gala, shared the stage with rapper Megan Thee Stallion during her Chicago show and starred in a music video with rappers Cardi B and Latto. Her dominance on the court and flair off the court further fueled interest in the Sky, who also drafted fellow rookie frontcourt star Kamilla Cardoso out of South Carolina.

“Throughout everything, I’ve shown that I belong in this competition, even when no one else believed in me,” Reese wrote in her post. “All I ever wanted was to come to the W and make an impact. I can confidently say that I have done that and I will strive to continue to do so.”

Reese added that she still plans to play in Unrivaled, the new 3×3 league co-founded by Breanna Stewart and Napheesa Collier that launches in January.

The Sky (12-22) are eighth in the standings and hoping to clinch the eighth and final spot in the WNBA playoffs. But the second half of their season has been tumultuous. They are 2-8, the second-worst record in the league at that time, and have been without leading scorer Chennedy Carter for a total of five games. The Sky snapped a seven-game losing streak against L.A. on Friday in Carter’s first game since Aug. 25.