Angel Reese’s 20-Rebound Streak Continues; A’ja Wilson Boosts Aces

In an impressive display on Sunday, Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese posted her third consecutive game with at least 20 rebounds. This feat also allowed her to tie the WNBA record for the most double-doubles by a rookie, achieving a total of 22.

Reese recorded 11 points and 22 rebounds during the match, although the Sky faced a narrow defeat against the two-time defending champions, the Las Vegas Aces, with a final score of 77-75. The game concluded dramatically with a buzzer-beater from A’ja Wilson, who is currently a front-runner for the MVP award.

Notably, Reese made history earlier in the week by becoming the first player in WNBA history to achieve back-to-back games with 20 or more rebounds. This achievement highlights her rising star status in the league.

Looking back at the NBA, the last player to record three straight games with 20 rebounds was Ben Wallace of the Detroit Pistons in 2003. Before him, the legendary Wilt Chamberlain had several streaks in 1973 while playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Reese’s 22 double-doubles matched the rookie record set by Tina Charles in 2010 during her time with the Connecticut Sun. The overall WNBA record for a single season is held by Alyssa Thomas, who achieved 28 double-doubles last season while also playing for Connecticut.

The forward narrowly missed out on breaking Charles’ single-game rookie rebound record of 23. The Chicago Sky tied their season high in team rebounds with a total of 47, while the Aces secured 44 rebounds in contrast.

In the game, both teams struggled with their shooting percentages. The Aces shot 38.3% from the field, while the Sky fared slightly worse at 36.6%. Wilson, despite her standout performance, had a tough shooting night, missing a career-high 20 shots, finishing with a 28% shooting rate by hitting only 8 of 28 attempts. Nonetheless, she made the most crucial basket of the game from an inbounds pass delivered by Chelsea Gray.

On a personal milestone, Wilson reached the 4,500-point mark in her career during the game, achieving this milestone in just 217 games. This milestone ties her with Breanna Stewart of the New York Liberty for the quickest time to reach this scoring mark in WNBA history. Diana Taurasi, who holds the title of the league’s all-time leading scorer, reached 4,500 points in 219 games.

The decisive basket from Wilson came right after Sky guard Chennedy Carter sunk a three-pointer, which had tied the game. Carter was a formidable presence throughout the match, finishing with a game-high of 25 points.

With this win, the Aces improved their season record to 18-11, while the Sky dropped to 11-18. Chicago has now experienced three consecutive losses and has won only one out of their last five games since the WNBA resumed play following the Olympic break. This season, the Sky have struggled at home, registering only 4 wins against 10 losses.

Currently, Chicago maintains a slim half-game lead over Atlanta (10-18) for the eighth and final playoff position. As the season progresses, every game becomes critical for the Sky as they attempt to secure their spot in the postseason.