Hit in the wrist against the Los Angeles Sparks on Friday, Angel Reesethe other rookie phenomenon in the WNBA this season with Caitlin Clarkwill undergo surgery this Tuesday. An operation synonymous with the end of the season for the player, while her team Chicago Sky is still battling to snatch the 8th and final qualifying place for the playoffs.
The 22-year-old center explained her choice Monday, assuring that she could have avoided going under the knife and let the crack heal naturally. But the risk of weakening and potential after-effects was apparently too high.
“I landed on my hand after an and-one, and that's what caused a little crack in the bone.”she said on her TikTok account. “The doctors told me I could either: not have surgery; or have surgery. By taking the risk of not having surgery, I could literally have arthritis at 22. It was not an option. The bone could crack and completely break. Right now, it’s a hair’s breadth… They’re going to put a little screw in (…). In the long run, I could literally have stopped playing because it’s a very difficult area to heal because there’s little to no blood flow.”
A steely morale before tackling rehabilitation
After the surgery, a never-so-joyful period of rehabilitation will begin. To begin, Angel Reese will have to wear a cast for four weeks, before switching to a splint for two weeks. The interior is already preparing to go through this always somewhat frustrating period.
“During this period, I'm going to do weight training, I'm going to run, I'm going to prepare, I'm going to shoot with my left hand, I'm going to dribble and I'm going to do things with my left hand, I'm going to work on my nutrition.”, she added. “I’ll still be a model, I’ll still be a podcaster, I’ll still be the same person… and I’ll still support my teammates, even from afar. Well, not from afar, but from the bench… I still think we’re going to make the playoffs.”
The Chicago Sky have five games left to secure their spot, including one against the Washington Mystics this Wednesday, then against the Atlanta Dream next Tuesday, the two other teams still in the running to try to snatch that 8th spot.
