Angel Reese, Caitlin Clark and Shaquille O’Neal

Angel Reese made headlines with her outstanding performance against old rival Caitlin Clark and her team, Indiana Fever. With her record-setting game, the Chicago forward even forced NBA superstar Shaquille O’Neil to root for her in the Rookie of the Year race.

After the thrilling game between the WNBA teams on Sunday, Shaq shared a post on his Instagram story where it was written “I’m calling it now Angel Reese will win Rookie of the Year.” 

The two teams have faced off each other twice this season, with the Fever as the dominant side. However, in their third encounter, the game ended 88-87 in favor of the Chicago franchise, thanks to Reese’s excellence. She entertained the home crowd with her game-high 25 points and 16 rebounds, scoring her 8th consecutive double-double while setting a new rookie record in the league.

Reese is averaging 13.2 points, 11.1 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.7 steals this season. However, it shouldn’t be forgotten that Clark is putting up 16.3 points, 5.4 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and 1.7 steals per game. With over half the season left, the Indiana point guard could crush Reese’s dreams of bagging the ROTY title.

That was a bold move by the Lakers’ legend, considering Indiana’s No. 1 draft pick is moving in the same direction. However, there could be other reasons for O’Neil’s support apart from Reese’s.