Angel Reese’s WNBA record of consecutive double-doubles ended at 15 during the Chicago Sky’s 81–67 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday.
The rookie grabbed 16 rebounds with eight points, frequently matched up against Kennedy Burke. The Liberty was without leading scorer Breanna Stewart, who was sidelined with a right hamstring injury. Her status beyond today is unknown.
Reese had an opportunity to reach 10 points with 17 seconds remaining in the game. But as she drove the baseline, four Liberty defenders quickly surrounded her in the paint.
Her ability to get double figures in points was limited late in the game by five personal fouls. Yet with eight points and 10 rebounds going into the fourth quarter, it appeared that Reese’s streak would continue.
Sabrina Ionescu scored a game-high 28 points with six assists. Leonie Fiebich scored 13 points with six rebounds, Jonquel Jones tallied 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Ivana Dojkic added 12 points for the Liberty, who improved their league-best record to 20–4.
Marina Mabrey scored 21 points with 12 rebounds and Michaela Onyenwere added 14 off the bench for the Sky, whose record dropped to 9–14. Chennedy Carter, Chicago’s leading scorer, played only 15 minutes and scored seven points.
Reese set a WNBA record last Sunday with her 13th consecutive double-double, getting 17 points and 14 rebounds in a loss to the Seattle Storm. The record was previously held by Candace Parker, who notched 12 straight double-doubles through the 2009 and 2010 seasons.
Perhaps more impressively, Reese set her record as a 22-year-old rookie in the first 20 games of her WNBA career. Parker established her consecutive double-doubles streak in her eighth season at the age of 29.
The Sky hit the road to face the Las Vegas Aces (15–7) on Tuesday. That will be their second-to-last game before the All-Star Game and break for the Paris Olympics. The Liberty will host the Connecticut Sun (17–5) in a matchup of the WNBA’s top two teams.