If you had told me at the start of this WNBA season that Angel Reese would be making history, I’d have believed you in a heartbeat. The self-proclaimed “Bayou Barbie” has always played with a chip on her shoulder and a knack for the dramatic, so it’s no surprise she’s in the headlines. But no one, not even her most ardent supporters, could have predicted she’d set a record like this—a record so awkward, so humbling, that it’s left the entire league and its fans in stunned silence. Angel Reese, the rebounding machine, has just cemented her name in the books for the worst layup conversion rate in the WNBA. Yes, you read that right: 43.8%. Not just below average, not just “needs improvement”—the worst in the league. For a player whose bread and butter is supposed to be dominating the paint, this is the kind of stat that makes you want to look away in embarrassment.

And yet, here we are, dissecting every missed bunny, every point-blank brick, every groan from the Chicago Sky bench as another easy two points clangs off the rim. The numbers don’t lie, and they’re brutal. The league average for making layups is a healthy 59.6%. Even Diana Taurasi, the ageless wonder known for her deep bombs, is more likely to nail a 25-foot three than Reese is to finish at the rim. Imagine that. The WNBA is a league of giants, of relentless athletes, of women who can carve up a defense with a single euro step. And yet for Reese, the simplest shot in basketball has become her greatest nemesis.

It’s the kind of record that stings, not just for Reese but for anyone who’s ever believed in her game. This is the woman who made headlines at LSU, who strutted into the league with the swagger of a champion, who made double-doubles look routine. But now, the whispers have turned into shouts. Is Angel Reese really as good as her numbers suggest, or is she padding her stats on the back of her own missed shots? Every time she crashes the boards for another offensive rebound, you can almost hear the cynics: “Of course she’s rebounding—she’s just grabbing her own misses.”

Let’s not mince words. Reese’s rebounding numbers are eye-popping. She’s recorded three straight games with 20-plus rebounds and shattered the record for consecutive double-doubles. On paper, she looks like a superstar in the making. But when you dig deeper, a troubling pattern emerges. Her field goal percentage is a woeful 39%. That’s not just bad, it’s historically bad for someone taking as many shots as she does. In her last five games, she’s sunk to an abysmal 32.4%. It’s as if every trip to the rim is a lottery ticket—and lately, she’s been coming up empty.

So what’s going on? Is it nerves? Is it mechanics? Is it just bad luck? Or is it something more fundamental—a flaw in her game that’s finally being exposed at the highest level? Whatever the answer, one thing is clear: Angel Reese is in the middle of a full-blown shooting crisis, and it’s threatening to overshadow all the things she does well. The Chicago Sky, once a team with playoff dreams, are now mired in a four-game losing streak, their offense sputtering and their chemistry fraying at the seams. Every missed layup, every wasted possession, is another crack in the foundation.

And while Reese’s defenders will point to her hustle, her energy, her relentless pursuit of the ball, the critics are growing louder by the day. Social media is ablaze with accusations of “stat padding,” of chasing rebounds at the expense of team success. It’s a harsh label, but one that’s starting to stick. After all, what good is a rebound if you can’t convert it into points? What good is a double-double if your team is losing night after night? The Sky are 11-19, clinging to playoff hopes by their fingernails, and the frustration is palpable.

But perhaps the most damning comparison comes not from Reese’s own teammates or coaches, but from her fellow rookie sensation, Caitlin Clark. If Reese’s season has been a rollercoaster of highs and lows, Clark’s has been a rocket ship to the stars. The Indiana Fever rookie has taken the league by storm, shattering records and silencing doubters at every turn. She’s averaging 17.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, and an astonishing 8.3 assists per game. She’s already set the rookie record for assists in a single season and is on pace to break the all-time WNBA assist record for any player—rookie or veteran.

The contrast couldn’t be more stark. While Reese is struggling to finish at the rim, Clark is orchestrating her team’s offense like a maestro, making everyone around her better. Her shooting is efficient, her decision-making is crisp, and her impact on the Fever has been nothing short of transformative. Indiana, once a perennial bottom feeder, is suddenly in the playoff hunt, energized by Clark’s brilliance. She’s not just putting up numbers—she’s changing the culture, raising the bar, showing what’s possible when talent meets preparation.

And that, more than anything, is what’s ending the Rookie of the Year debate before it even begins. For weeks, fans and pundits have argued over who deserves the crown—Reese with her gaudy rebounding totals, or Clark with her historic playmaking. But as the season wears on, the answer is becoming painfully obvious. Efficiency matters. Impact matters. Winning matters. And on all three counts, Clark is leaving Reese in the dust.

It’s not that Reese isn’t talented. Far from it. Her rebounding instincts are elite, her motor is relentless, and her confidence is unshakeable. But basketball is a game of results, not just effort. The Sky’s offense is in shambles, their true shooting percentage a league-worst 49.1%—the lowest since the 2021 Atlanta Dream. Every miss by Reese is a missed opportunity for her teammates, a disruption to the flow of the game, a setback that the team simply can’t afford. When the margin for error is razor-thin, every wasted possession counts double.

And yet, it’s impossible not to feel a twinge of sympathy for Reese. She’s a rookie, after all, thrown into the fire against the best players in the world. The transition from college to the pros is brutal, and every young star hits a wall at some point. But the WNBA is unforgiving. Records are kept, and history is written in ink, not pencil. Reese’s layup woes are now part of her story, a blemish that will follow her until she finds a way to fix it.

Meanwhile, Clark is rewriting her own narrative, one jaw-dropping assist at a time. She’s not just surviving—she’s thriving, adapting to the speed and physicality of the league with a maturity that belies her age. She’s making her teammates better, she’s filling arenas, she’s sparking MVP debates—a feat almost unheard of for a rookie. For every missed shot by Reese, there’s a highlight-reel pass from Clark, a moment that reminds us why we fell in love with basketball in the first place.

The numbers tell the story, but the eye test is even more damning. Watch a Sky game and you’ll see Reese battling for every board, only to flub the putback. Watch the Fever and you’ll see Clark whipping a no-look dime to a cutting teammate, the crowd erupting as the ball swishes through the net. One is effort without reward; the other is artistry in motion.

And so, the debate is over. Angel Reese may have made history, but not the kind she wanted. Her record for the worst layup conversion rate in the WNBA is a badge of dishonor, a reminder that hustle alone isn’t enough. Meanwhile, Caitlin Clark is proving that greatness is about more than stats—it’s about impact, about elevating your team, about seizing the moment when it matters most.

For the Sky, the path forward is clear but daunting. Reese must evolve. She must find a way to finish at the rim, to turn her rebounds into points, to become the player her team so desperately needs. The league is watching, the critics are waiting, and the window for excuses is closing fast. This is the WNBA, where legends are made and pretenders are exposed. There’s no hiding from the spotlight.

For Clark and the Fever, the future is blindingly bright. With every game, she’s cementing her status as the most electrifying rookie in recent memory, a player who can change the trajectory of a franchise. The Rookie of the Year trophy is all but hers, and the only question now is how high she can climb. Can she lead Indiana to the playoffs? Can she break more records? Can she become the face of the league?

As for Angel Reese, the journey is far from over. History is full of players who stumbled early, only to rise stronger than ever. But if she wants to shed the label of “Miss Double Trouble” and reclaim her place among the league’s elite, she’ll need to do more than rebound—she’ll need to reinvent herself. The talent is there, the heart is there, but the game demands more.

In the end, this season will be remembered for two rookies who captured our imagination for very different reasons. One made history with a record she’d rather forget; the other made history by redefining what’s possible. For Angel Reese, the challenge is clear. For Caitlin Clark, the sky’s the limit.

And for the rest of us, the lesson is as old as the game itself: It’s not just about how hard you play, but how well you play. In the WNBA, efficiency is king, and history never forgets.

So as the season winds down and the playoff race heats up, keep your eyes on these two rookies. Their stories are still being written, and the next chapter could be the most exciting yet. But for now, the debate is settled. Angel Reese made history, but Caitlin Clark made her mark. And in the end, that’s the only record that matters.