Washington Wizards rookie forward Will Riley has been nothing short of a major surprise this season. At the beginning of the campaign, the Illinois product was an afterthought, playing garbage time minutes and bouncing in and out of the G-League. Flash forward to April, and he’s cemented himself as the best rookie on the roster.

Don’t believe it? His last two games prove that the forward has true star potential. Not only did he put on two stellar offensive performances, he also joined a chapter in Wizards history that even some of the best have failed to.

Will Riley Joins Wizards History With Epic Back-To-Back Games

In the span of 48 hours, Riley played his best two games in his young NBA career.

Performances For The Ages

On Saturday, Riley put up a career-high 31 points (on 70.6% shooting) in an offensive battle against the Miami Heat. That scoring outburst went well with his five rebounds and a career-high five steals. His production was matched only by Heat forward Jamie Jacquez Jr., whose 32 points ultimately led to Miami’s win.

Just a day later, Riley would notch his second-ever 30-point game, this time against the Brooklyn Nets. Again, his efficiency was off the charts, shooting 56.3% from the field while connecting on three shots from beyond the arc. While he didn’t have the same defensive impact, the forward would grab four rebounds and dish six assists.

These two road performances wrote Riley’s name in Washington’s history books. What’s even better? Riley’s offensive production seemingly improved after each passing game.

The History

Following those offensive masterclasses, Riley wrote his name into multiple chapters in Washington’s record books. Not only did Riley break records each game, but the two games together saw the rookie join another elite club.

Against Miami, the forward would become the first rookie since Donovan Mitchell (drafted in 2017) to record 30+ points and 5+ steals in a game. The 20-year-old also became the third-youngest player in team history with a 30-point game. Additionally, he’s now the youngest player in Wizards history to have 5+ steals in a game.

Against Brooklyn, Riley became just the third rookie this season to score 30+ points in back-to-back games, the others being Dallas Mavericks first overall pick Cooper Flagg and Sacramento Kings’ center Maxime Raynaud. He also joined Wall, Bub Carrington and Alex Sarr, as the fourth Wizards rookie to score 30+ points and dish 5+ dimes so far this century.

Across both games, Riley became the first Wizards rookie since Calbert Cheaney in February 1994 to put up back-to-back 30-point games and just the seventh player in franchise history to do so. Cheaney and Riley are the only Wizards’ rookies to score 30+ in back-to-back games since the ABA-NBA merger, which was half a century ago in 1976. To add a cherry on top of all this soft serve, Riley is the first rookie since Charlotte Hornets third-year forward Brandon Miller to drop 30+ points in consecutive days.

The Last Word

The Wizards found a true gem in a draft class that was loaded on the front end. Riley went from a potential contender for an All-Rookie Team selection to a near-lock.

The 21st overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft, he’s dominated since being given starter minutes. So much so that he’s fully deserving of an increased role once the roster is healthy and the team moves on from tanking and into competing. Washington’s last two outings underscored that thought as Riley sketched himself into Wizards history.

One does have to wonder just how impressive his stats would be if he were given this level of playing time earlier in this season. But with the summer ahead, Riley has time to further develop his offensive skillset. And, with any luck, the rookie will be a true offensive weapon off the bench next season.