Chicago Sky star Angel Reese had herself quite the rookie moment in Saturday night’s loss to the Connecticut Sun, which resulted in a WNBA veteran’s ejection. 

The Sun’s Alyssa Thomas was sent off the court prematurely after a wrestle for a rebound resulted in her clotheslining Reese in the third quarter of Connecticut’s 86-82 victory. 

Thomas stuck her arm and hand out across Reese’s neck as they battled for the rebound, and Reese hit the deck pretty hard. 

As referees reviewed the call, they found that Thomas committed a flagrant foul 2, the first of her career, and it resulted in an automatic ejection.

After the game, Reese, who finished with 13 points, five rebounds and two assists over 33 minutes on the court, didn’t mind what happened with Thomas. 

She has said before her WNBA career began that she wanted to be “knocked down” and learn from the adversity. She might not have meant it literally, but that’s exactly the way she viewed the situation. 

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“It’s not just because I’m a rookie. I’m a player. I’m a basketball player. They don’t give a damn if I’m a rookie,” Reese said about the incident, per The Athletic. “I mean, I want them to come at me every day. I want them to come at everybody.”

Reese isn’t looking for some special treatment because she’s a rookie. If anything, she wants the pressure, the physicality and the aggression from opponents because, like she said, she’s a basketball player trying to win like the rest of them.

Angel Reese of the Sky is shown during the game against the Connecticut Sun on May 25, 2024, in Chicago. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)

“They’re not supposed to be nice to me,” Reese continued. “I hope you all know that. They’re not supposed to be nice to me or lay down because I’m Angel Reese or because I’m a rookie. Like, thank you, AT, for sending a message to me because I got back up, and I kept going and kept pushing. Like me and AT have been cool since we were at Maryland, so I know it’s not hard feelings. I appreciate her for going at me today or every day.”

As Reese mentioned, she and Thomas go back to their days in College Park, Maryland, playing for the Terrapins. She said before the Sky took on the Sun that she admired Thomas.

“I know she purposely probably didn’t do it toward me, but just being able to come out there and just be strong and stand on two feet, it was going to be a tough game, and that’s what I’m built for.”

Angel Reese of the Chicago Sky is averaging 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds during the 2024 season. (Jeff Haynes/NBAE via Getty Images)

Reese has acclimated to the WNBA well. She’s averaging 12.3 points and 7.8 rebounds during the 2024 season.

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This is no longer a small sample size: With the first third of the season complete, the Angels have put themselves in position to challenge a major league record for futility.

It is not that they have the worst home record in MLB this season. It is that, by winning percentage, they have the worst home record of any MLB team in 85 years.

The Angels are competitive on the road. Their record away from Angel Stadium: 14-14.

Their record after a loss to the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday at Angel Stadium: 6-19, a winning percentage of .240. The only team with a worse percentage over a full season, according to StatMuse: the St. Louis Browns, whose home winning percentage was .234 (18-59) in 1939.

Two years later, the Browns nearly moved to Los Angeles. In 1954, they moved to Baltimore and renamed themselves the Orioles.

The manager of those 1939 Browns: Fred Haney. In 1961, when the Angels joined MLB as an expansion team, they hired Haney as general manager.

This season’s Angels are on pace to win 19 home games. Since the 162-game schedule was adopted in 1961, no major league team has won fewer than 22 home games in a season.

The Angels’ plight might get worse before it gets better. On Tuesday, they start a three-game home series against the New York Yankees, the team with the most victories in the American League.

Josef Newgarden was victorious for the second consecutive year at Indianapolis Motor Speedway as he overtook Pato O’Ward in the final lap to win the Indy 500. 

Newgarden was also the winner of the 2023 Indy 500, so he became just the sixth driver in the 200-lap race’s history to go back-to-back and the first since Helio Castroneves, who did it in 2001 and 2002.

The fans who waited through a delay due to weather had quite an exciting finish to watch as the white flag was waved with O’Ward, one of two Arrow McLaren cars chasing Newgarden along with Alexander Rossi, overtaking the Team Penske driver for first place as they began the final lap. 

O’Ward had the tires and fuel after his final pit stop on lap 172, while Newgarden went to the pit three laps earlier.

He created a small gap to start the final lap, but Newgarden was waiting patiently behind him to make the right move.

O’Ward had Newgarden right behind him, and the latter popped out to the right and kicked it up a notch to retake the lead. 

That was the nail in the coffin.

Newgarden hit a straightaway and once again pulled away from the competition. Coming around the final turn, he was waving his hand in the air, knowing he had captured the coveted race again as the checkered flag waved.

Josef Newgarden drives during practice at Carb Day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 24, 2024. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Newgarden was seen jumping into the stands to celebrate with the fans, drinking in their cheers and affection.

As Newgarden celebrated the victory, O’Ward was seen back with his Arrow McLaren crew in the pit, and he was clearly distraught. O’Ward, the 25-year-old Mexican driver who came close to victory in the two previous runs at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, slumped his head over his vehicle as his team consoled him.

Newgarden began the race in third position as Team Penske owned the front row, with teammates Scott McLaughlin and Will Power in first and second, respectively.

O’Ward, who started in eighth, finished second, and Sean Dixon, who began the race in 21st, finished third. Rossi and Alex Palou rounded out the top five.

Josef Newgarden celebrates after winning the 108th Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 26, 2024. (Justin Casterline/Getty Images)

Newgarden celebrated with his crew in victory lane, drinking the traditional milk jug as he earned another Indy 500 victory in his career.

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