Impact Player: Angel Reese WNBA Extends Record for Double-Doubles

Angel Reese #5 of the Chicago Sky looks to pass against the Seattle Storm at Climate Pledge Arena in Seattle, Wash., on July 5, 2024. (Steph Chambers/Getty Images)

Rookie Angel Reese is making a huge impact for the Chicago Sky at both ends of the floor.

Reese, who was the seventh pick in the draft, extended her WNBA record with a 15th consecutive double-double in a 91–76 loss to the New York Liberty on Thursday night.

She is battling another rookie phenom, Caitlin Clark, for WNBA Rookie of the Year. Reese is also drawing record crowds of 17,758 fans for the road game against the Liberty—a WNBA home attendance record at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“The basketball gods keep blessing me. I don’t even know how I did that,” Reese told reporters after the game. “I just try to go out there and do whatever I can to try to win. .. I have a long way to go, but to be recognized with some of the greats so far is super cool for me.”

It was the second time in two days that it came down to the final minutes for her to keep the streak going. On Wednesday, she did it by hitting two free throws in the final few seconds of a win at home.

Reese also had a stellar career that began at the University of Maryland, where she played in 15 games and averaged 10 points and 6 rebounds, earning a spot on the Big 10 All-Freshman team.

Reese then transferred to LSU, where her popularity soared.

Reese had about 70,000 followers on Instagram when she came to Baton Rouge, but her brand rose with the Tigers. Entering the 2022–23 NCAA Tournament, she had nearly 500,000 followers. Those numbers climbed to more than 1 million following LSU’s first National Championship that season.

Last season, as a senior at LSU, she led the SEC in scoring (18.6 ppg) and rebounding (13.4 rpg) for the second season in a row. She became the first player since Wendy Scholtens from Vanderbilt in 1989–90 to lead the league in both stats over consecutive seasons.

In addition, Reese finished the season with 76 assists, 62 steals, and 32 blocks. Her 441 total rebounds rank No. 7 in program history. She scored in double-figures in all 67 of her games at LSU and led the nation with 5.5 offensive rebounds per game.

Reese has 61 career double-doubles—the second most in LSU history.

Now, she is making an impact in her first year in the WNBA. Reese has enamored herself to her coaches and teammates with her work ethic. Reese broke Candace Parker’s previous record of 12 consecutive double-doubles on July 7.

The Sky are in third place in the Eastern Division of the WNBA standings at 9–13.

“She goes hard, she’s not out there for records, she’s out there for wins,” Chicago coach Teresa Weatherspoon said this week. “She puts in the work, it just so happens every time you look at the stat sheet there she is again with a double-double. I’m sure she'd want the win more than just the double-double.”

Reese also gets attention for her flamboyant nature on the court. She is not afraid to get in the face of an opponent or raucously celebrate a key basket or field goal.

That type of attitude can be polarizing for some fans, but Reese embraces that part of her personality.

“I know the work I put in coming into this league,” Reese said after she made the WNBA All-Star game. “People doubted me and didn’t think my game would translate and I wouldn’t be the player that I was in college or be better or worse. But I trusted the process and I believed it.”

In addition, the matchups with fellow rookie Clark is gaining national notoriety.

The two young stars first attracted national attention when Reese taunted Clark with a “you can’t see me“ gesture and tapped her ring finger when LSU beat Iowa in the 2023 National Championship game in women’s basketball. The ”you can’t see me” gesture was popularized by WWE star John Cena to show opponents that he was too fast or elusive for them to see him coming. The pointing to her ring finger was supposed to symbolize the championship rings she and her teammates would soon receive for the title.

The conversation recently reached a fever pitch when Reese was called for a flagrant foul after hitting Clark on the head during their WNBA matchup on June 16. The Fever’s 91–83 victory averaged 2.25 million viewers, making it the most-watched WNBA game on any network since 2001, according to CBS Sports.

Reese said the attention that the WNBA is getting with her rivalry with Clark is a positive step for the game.

“It’s good for the game, good for women’s basketball, but also good for women’s sports,” Reese said after the latest game against Indiana on June 16. “You see NBA players, rappers, legends that played in the league for a great long time come out and show support. You know everybody’s watching right now.

“I think this is one of the most important times right now, and we just continue to keep putting on. I think both teams tonight did an amazing job putting on a show. It was fun. I had a great time. I’m sure the other team had a great time.”