Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Record-setting Angel Reese calls out stat-padding critics
Angel Reese. Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports

Record-setting rebounder Angel Reese calls out stat-padding critics

Angel Reese is rebounding the ball at an unprecedented rate in WNBA history. And she's a rookie.

On Sunday, the Chicago Sky forward collected another 19 boards to take her season tally to 418 rebounds, breaking the previous all-time single-season record of 404 rebounds set by Sylvia Fowles in 2018. 

As part of her 24th double-double of the season, Reese also clinched the single-season record for most offensive rebounds (165), surpassing Yolanda Griffiths' mark of 162 set during the 2001 season. 

Despite Reese's best efforts, the Sky (11-21) suffered their sixth consecutive defeat of the season and now find themselves in danger of losing the eighth and final playoff spot to the Atlanta Dream. 

Reese has received some public criticism for potentially stat-padding herself into the record books — putting up empty calories in losses — while collecting her own misses. The most significant marker of this theory has been Reese's subpar field-goal percentage in close-range shots. 

In shots attempted at less than five feet (restricted area), Reese is shooting a paltry 43.6% (132 of 303). Even worse, she's shooting 11.4% (4 of 35) in shot attempts in the five-to-nine-foot area — typically the zone where bigs thrive.

Reese, though, remains unperturbed by those allegations. After setting the rebounding record on Sunday, the Maryland native made it a point to call out anyone accusing her of being a stat-padder.

"A lot of people think it's because I get my own [misses] but statistically, it's not," Reese said, per The Sporting News. "A lot of people think it's because I'm the tallest on the court, but I'm not the tallest on the court. Just being able to go down there and bang, doing things that a lot of people don't want to do. Defense and rebounding wins championships. And I've won championships at every level by just doing that."

Reese further addressed the criticisms surrounding her offensive arsenal, stressing that she wanted to make a name for herself in the WNBA with her rebounding and defense, much like she did at LSU.

With eight games left in the season, Reese would need to average 10.25 rebounds the rest of the way to reach the 500-rebound mark. The Sky will next face reigning WNBA champions, the Las Vegas Aces, on Tuesday. 

Sai Mohan

A veteran sportswriter based in Portugal, Sai covers the NBA for Yardbarker and a few local news outlets. He had the honor of covering sporting events across four different continents as a newspaper reporter. Some of his all-time favorite athletes include Mike Tyson, Larry Bird, Luís Figo, Ayrton Senna and Steffi Graf.

More must-reads:

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!

TODAY'S BEST

Dallas Wings Make Paige Bueckers Decision After 18th Loss of the Season
WNBA

Dallas Wings Make Paige Bueckers Decision After 18th Loss of the Season

The Dallas Wings had a lot of momentum entering Friday’s matchup against the Golden State Valkyries. This is after Paige Bueckers and Co. blew out the Seattle Storm on Tuesday, 87-63, in their first game back following the WNBA All-Star break. The Wings, however, came crashing back down to earth on Friday with a disappointing loss to the Valkyries at Chase Center, 86-76. Paige Bueckers Comes Up Big for the Wings Bueckers did all she could for Dallas in this one, dropping a team-high 17 points on 7-of-15 shooting, to go along with one rebound, six assists, four steals and two triples in 37 minutes of action. While Bueckers’ effort ultimately came up short, the Wings took to social media shortly after the loss to announce the team’s decision to name the rookie as the Player of the Game. “Paige is your @childrens Player of the Game tonight ” the team posted on X. Bueckers' Effort Not Enough for the Wings Bueckers has been one of the most consistent players on the roster for the Wings amid what has been another forgettable season. Entering Friday’s matchup, the 23-year-old has averaged 18.2 points on 44.9% shooting, 4.0 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.7 steals in 34.5 minutes per contest. Nevertheless, Dallas has still struggled mightily this year, and Thursday’s defeat was their 18th loss of the campaign. They are now 7-18 on the season and are sitting at the second-to-last spot in the league, above only the 3-20 Connecticut Sun. The Wings will be back in action in a tough back-to-back set as they battle the Las Vegas Aces on Sunday, followed by a matchup against the defending champions, the New York Liberty, on Monday.

Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon
MLB

Yankees have finally found their third baseman in Ryan McMahon

After years of speculation and nothing materializing, the New York Yankees have at last acquired third baseman Ryan McMahon from the Colorado Rockies, per the New York Post's Jon Heyman. Pitching prospects Griffin Herring and Josh Grosz are headed to the Mile High City in return. They were the number eight and 21st-ranked prospects in the Yankees' farm system, per MLB.com. Given the Yankees' struggles at the third-base position over the last few years, bringing in a guy who was an All-Star in 2024 and will be much more reliable is a win. Former MLB player and current analyst Cameron Maybin certainly believes that, as he was pushing the McMahon-to-New York narrative over the last week and feels it could be a great fit for both sides. "The third baseman they need plays in Colorado...I'm telling you! Defensively more than adequate and Taylor made for the ballpark offensively," Maybin wrote on social media. Maybin went on to mention how McMahon will feel reinvigorated joining a World Series contender like the Yankees after the last six-and-a-half years of being at the bottom in Colorado. The 30-year-old is not having his best season, slugging 16 home runs and 35 RBI with a .217 average through 100 games with the Rockies, per MLB.com stats. However, he's consistently been a 20-plus home run hitter who drives in runs at a strong rate and has a large sample size of doing so. Arizona Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez (.252 average, 36 HRs, 86 RBI) has seemed to be No. 1 target for most teams, and for good reason, but given the Yankees' current situation and weaknesses, McMahon made more sense. Not only does he play a better third base, which New York desperately needs, but he has another two years of control after 2025, whereas Suarez would have been a rental. The acquisition cost was nothing crazy, and adding a lefty bat with some power to potentially take advantage of the short porch at Yankee Stadium is always a bonus. Some may not be satisfied until they see McMahon positively impacting the New York Yankees, but rest assured, this is a very solid pickup.

Raiders HC Pete Carroll expands on decision to release DT Christian Wilkins
NFL

Raiders HC Pete Carroll expands on decision to release DT Christian Wilkins

For the first time since the Las Vegas Raiders' shocking release of DT Christian Wilkins on Thursday, head coach Pete Carroll fielded questions about the move. "To make our decision, we watched our way through the whole thing," Carroll told the Las Vegas Review-Journal's Vinny Bonsignore. "We're keeping really clear with what we said. I think there was no clear path to his return, and we just had to move on." Wilkins was injured in Week 5 against the Denver Broncos last season, suffering a foot injury that would put him on the IR after five games. It was not what the Raiders had hoped for after then-general manager Tom Telesco signed him to a four-year, $110 million deal in March 2024. Initially, Wilkins did have surgery, but wasn't healthy by the time organized team activities started, and his rehab proved to be a "challenging process" as described by Carroll a few months ago. According to NFL insider Ian Rapoport, Las Vegas reportedly wanted Wilkins to undergo another foot surgery, but he declined, which led to the release of the six-year pro from Clemson. The Raiders are attempting to void $35.2 million in remaining guarantees that Wilkins was owed on his contract. The NFLPA filed a grievance against Las Vegas as a result. Wilkins was brought in to help star pass rusher Maxx Crosby create problems for opposing offenses. The Raiders got a brief look when Wilkins recorded 17 tackles, two tackles for loss, six quarterback hits and two sacks before he got injured in the second quarter. The injury was unfortunate for Las Vegas, which had counted on Wilkins to produce similar results, as he had in his last three seasons with the Dolphins, recording 17 sacks, including nine in 2023. Perhaps Raiders GM John Spytek saw this coming when the silver and black selected Tonka Hemingway and JJ Pegues in the 2025 NFL Draft. While there is still time to find the next player to fill the void left by Wilkins, there is a massive hole in the interior line.

Davante Adams discusses time with Jets, Aaron Rodgers reunion
NFL

Davante Adams discusses time with Jets, Aaron Rodgers reunion

The reunion between quarterback Aaron Rodgers and wide receiver Davante Adams in 2024 was brief. After nearly two and a half years apart, the longtime Green Bay Packers duo attempted to rekindle their connection with the New York Jets. Adams worked his way to the Jets early in the 2024 season, dealt from the Las Vegas Raiders in exchange for a third-round pick in October. While the chemistry between them wasn't bad, the results spoke otherwise, as everything spiraled out of control in New York, ending in a 5-12 season. The star receiver was released by the club in March before joining the Los Angeles Rams in free agency, while Rodgers was handed the same fate, signing with the Pittsburgh Steelers in June. Adams was asked about Rodgers being his opponent again during an appearance on the "Up and Adams" show on Friday. “Aaron’s got to be happy. I mean, I’m happy for him. We both, we got to try it again together and gave that another shot. That stone wasn’t left unturned; we did what we had to do, and it just obviously didn’t work. Just like for me, I wish him nothing but luck, and I know he’s going to go out there and ball out too,” Adams said. Adams wound up amassing 67 receptions, 854 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games as a Jet with Rodgers, per ESPN stats, averaging 77.6 yards per game, much higher than his previous season in Las Vegas. Two of the legendary quarterback's four NFL MVPs were won with Adams being his top target from 2020 to 2022. At their best, they were borderline unstoppable, though postseason shortcomings haunted them in the end. There's no doubting how good a QB-WR duo these two were in Green Bay; however, all that occurred in New York made it obvious that a change was necessary. The Rodgers-led Steelers and Adams and the Rams will have plenty of eyeballs on them in 2025. Unfortunately for fans, the two teams don't play each other this season... unless they find a way to meet up in San Francisco for Super Bowl LX in February.