Sky’s Reese Achieves First in WNBA with Back-to-Back 20-Rebound Games

Angel Reese achieved a historic milestone on Friday night, becoming the first player in WNBA history to record at least 20 rebounds in consecutive games.

In her latest outing, the standout rookie contributed 13 points along with 20 rebounds in the Chicago Sky’s narrow 82-80 loss to the Connecticut Sun in Uncasville. Just two days later, she followed up with another impressive performance, posting 19 points and another 20 rebounds in an 86-68 defeat against the Phoenix Mercury.

This remarkable achievement marks the first time since April 1993 that an NBA rookie has accomplished back-to-back 20-rebound games. During that time, Shaquille O’Neal, then playing for the Orlando Magic, achieved the feat with games of 21 rebounds against the Boston Celtics and 25 against the Washington Bullets. Notably, both O’Neal and Reese honed their skills at Louisiana State University, and he has been an advocate for her throughout her journey.

Reese’s double-double against the Sun marked her 21st of the season. This impressive stat leaves her just one double-double shy of tying Tina Charles’ record for the most double-doubles by a WNBA rookie. Charles set the bar with 22 double-doubles in the 2010 season while playing for the Connecticut Sun. With 12 games remaining in the regular season, Reese still has ample opportunity to surpass this milestone.

As for her current averages, Reese is putting up impressive numbers with 12.6 rebounds and 13.6 points per game. However, the Chicago Sky, currently ranked eighth in the league, have experienced a difficult stretch since the WNBA resumed play following the Olympic break, winning only one of their last four games. Standing at 11-17, they currently hold a slim one-game lead over the Atlanta Dream, who fell to Phoenix 82-80 on Friday.

After a challenging road trip that spanned three games, the Sky are set to return home for a series of three consecutive games. Their upcoming matchups will see them face off against Las Vegas, Washington, and Indiana, providing them an opportunity to regain some momentum as playoff contention heats up.