In a lost season for the Washington Wizards, rookie Will Riley continues to shine after setting a franchise record in Sunday's loss
The Washington Wizards dropped their sixth consecutive game on Sunday in a narrow road loss against the Brooklyn Nets, but it also came with more highlights from rookie Will Riley.
The rookie led the way with 30 points in 35 minutes, doing so on 9-of-16 shooting from the field including 3-of-7 from three, while adding a team-high six assists. The performance was enough to make Riley the seventh yet youngest player in franchise history, and first since Calbert Cheaney in 1994, to record consecutive 30-point games, doing it after an impressive showing on Saturday.
In Saturday's loss against the Miami Heat, Riley proved to be the lone bright spot for the Wizards after recording 31 points to notch both his first career 30-point game while setting a new career high. Riley also notched five steals in the loss, also marking a new career high. And the two feats proved to play a hand in the rookie joining elite territory in several categories.
Riley became the youngest player since LeBron James in 2004 to record at least 30 points and five steals in a game, while he also became the first rookie since Raymond Felton in 2006 to record at least 30 points, five rebounds and five steals in a game. He also became the first rookie and team history to record at least 30 points and five steals, a statline that makes him the first rookie across the league to post that sgatline since Donovan Mitchell did so back on Dec. 5, 2017.
The former first round pick became the third youngest player to notch a 30-point game, trailing a pair of teammates in Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr. His five steals also make him the youngest player in team history to record at least five steals in a game, a mark previously held by John Wall after securing nine steals back in 2010 - just four days older than Riley at the time of accomplishing the feat.
It's the latest encouraging performance for Riley, who ranks sixth among rookies in scoring since the All Star break with 15.6 points, fueled by a pair of double doubles and eight 20-point games during that span. What may be just as impressive is the rookie is doing it while shooting over 49% from the field, adding fuel to the fire that the Illinois product could be the biggest X-factor on the early makeup of the 2026-27 season.
Of course, the latest round of accolades comes days after veteran Paul George was one of two to praise Riley's potential, adding additional credence to his climb as an impact piece in a rotation with impact reinforcements on the way. In a season filled with low points, George has given something for fans to latch onto as a positive development with all eyes on adding to the roster through the 2026 NBA Draft.