Unrivaled DPOY Reese (hand) to miss semifinal

MIAMI -- Angel Reese will miss the Rose's semifinal game against the Laces on Sunday due to a hand injury, according to Unrivaled.

Reese sustained the injury in the second quarter of her regular-season finale last Monday. After securing an offensive rebound, Reese appears to be hit on the wrist and knocked off balance. On the Rose's next offensive possession, she made a gentle shot off the backboard but immediately grabbed her left wrist after the play was done.

She continued to grab and flex the wrist during the ensuing timeout. Reese started the third quarter with a form of a wrist strap on her left hand but then exited the game midway through the period.

Reese spent the last several days being evaluated before being ruled out of Sunday's game. This is the same wrist Reese had surgery on in September to repair a small crack in her bone, which ended her rookie season early.

In a social media post in September, Reese explained that doctors placed a very small screw in her wrist to prevent the bone from cracking completely. She said the operation was successful.

"Long term, I literally could have not played anymore because this is a very hard place to heal because the blood flow is little to none," she said.

The news comes just hours after Unrivaled announced that Reese was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year.

Reese led the league in rebounds, averaging 12.1 per game, and tallied a team-high eight blocks for the Rose.

Her defense was an anchor for the Rose, who finished the regular season with the best scoring defense in the league, allowing only 65.2 points per game.

Reese notched eight double-doubles, including a 22-point, 21-rebound game, which was the first 20-20 game in Unrivaled history.

"Double-double machine. She's somebody who has a knack for rebounding and just goes after it," Reese's teammate Chelsea Gray told ESPN. "It's really hard to do that consistently. It's a lot on your body. It's a mindset that youhave to have, and it's one she's had this whole time."

Now, the Rose will have to rely on their other players to pick up the defensive slack left by Reese's absence. Naz Hamilton and Natisha Hiedeman have been assigned to the team as relief players.

The Rose (8-6) finished second in the league and will play the third-place Laces (7-7) on Sunday in the playoff semifinals. The Lunar Owls (13-1) will play the Vinyl (5-9) in the other semifinal matchup. The Unrivaled championship game will be played Monday night.