The two stars are helping the Sky rise up the standings

Angel Reese has earned Chennedy Carter's respect following Caitlin Clark controversy

Chennedy Carter appeared on the radar of most new WNBA fans for an incident with Caitlin Clark last month. During an eventual win for Clark‘s Indiana Fever against Carter‘s Chicago Sky, Carter shoved Clark off the ball and into the hardwood — drawing a flagrant foul and condemnation from some quarters of basketball fandom.

Many took that action by Carter to mean that she had no respect for this year’s hyped WNBA rookie class, but that perception does not match reality in any way. Carter has elevated her game in 2024, putting in one of the finest performances of her career in a surprise win over the two-time defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Tuesday night. But after the game, the only person Carter wanted to talk about was her team’s star rookie: Angel Reese.

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Carter: I have Angel’s back, no matter what

Carter dropped a season-high 34 points in Las Vegas as the Sky toppled the Aces, 93-85, to strengthen their grip on a playoff place. But Carter made sure to shout out Reese’s efforts on a big night for Chicago‘s rebuild. The rookie rebounded from seeing her double-double streak come to an end against the New York Liberty, scoring 13 points and grabbing 10 rebounds in 35 minutes.

“Angel is somebody that works hard no matter what it’s looking like,” Carter told reporters at Michelob ULTRA Arena. “I tell her as one of her teammates and one of the closest people to her on this team: no matter what, I got your back.”

Carter’s comments show how far Reese has come in a short time in the WNBA. Named an All-Star in her debut season, Reese continues to win plaudits for her motor and her dominance around the rim, and the Sky outscored the Aces by 26 points when she was on the floor Tuesday night.

But really, Tuesday night belonged to Carter, who demonstrated again that she is the single biggest All-Star snub in the league. The 25-year-old is the Sky’s leading scorer, averaging better than 17 points per game — and now that she is in a stable environment, she is showing off the acceleration and ball-handling that made her a coveted selection in the 2020 WNBA Draft.