Even though the Phoenix Mercury swept the Chicago Sky 86-68 on Sunday, the loss still has a silver lining for fans. During the game, rookie sensation Angel Reese made WNBA history as the fastest player to record 20 double-doubles in a season. In her 35 minutes of play, Reese scored 19 points and grabbed 20 rebounds. Her current dominance at the basket also gives Reese a good chance to break other records.
The former seventh-round pick is averaging 13.4 points and 12.0 rebounds for the Sky, who are now eighth in the league with a record of 11-16. Heading into the playoffs, the Sky will certainly be looking to rebound from their quick exit last season to the eventual WNBA champions Las Vegas Aces.
Angel Reese’s dominance in rebounding for Sky
In addition to this new record-breaking feat, Angel Reese already holds the WNBA record for most rebounds per game by a rookie. At her current pace, she is also on pace to break the rookie records set by Tina Charles in 2010 with 398 rebounds and Sylvia Fowles in 2018 with 404.
Along with Indiana Fever’s record-breaking rookie superstar Caitlin Clark, Reese has also fueled a huge increase in WNBA viewership, meaning the league may have found new faces for the foreseeable future.
Still, the team itself may face more teething issues before reaching its full potential as it builds around its core of Reese, fellow rookie Kamilla Cardoso and star Chennedy Carter. Despite the loss, they remain eighth in the league with a record of 11-16, just two games ahead of the Atlanta Dream. The Sky are also two games behind the Fever in seventh place.
Match report
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This crushing loss to a team with battle-tested players like stars Diana Taurasi and Brittney Griner proves the Sky still have a lot of work to do. Taurasi led the offense in the first quarter, scoring 12 of her 23 points as the Mercury rolled over the Sky 32-19 and built a lead they held for nearly 38 minutes. In addition to Taurasi, Sophie Cunningham also recorded her first WNBA double-double with 13 points and a career-high 10 rebounds, while Griner contributed 18 points.
Another key player for the Mercury was Monique Billings, who signed a seven-day contract with the team before the game. In her 23 minutes of play, Billings contributed 13 points, eight rebounds and two steals.
In addition to Reese, Chennedy Carter scored 16 points, grabbed six rebounds and dished out six assists. Kamilla Cardoso and Isabelle Harrison, meanwhile, each scored 12 points. However, the Sky only hit 35.9% of their shots from the field and went an incredible 0-14 three-pointers. They also made just 12 of their 21 free throws. Angel Reese, in addition to her monster double-doubles, hit just 39.3% of her shots from the field and a measly 20% of her three-pointers.
