Angel Reese’s WNBA double-double streak ended at 15 in the Chicago Sky’s 81–67 loss to the New York Liberty on Saturday.
The rookie had 16 rebounds with eight points while often matched up against Kennedy Burke. New York was without leading scorer Breanna Stewart, who was sidelined. Right sided hamstring injury.
Liberty coach Sandy Brondello He later told reporters. Stewart probably could have played, but felt it was “the smartest thing to give her a break.”
With 17 seconds left in the game, Reese had a chance to make it 10 points. But as she drove down the starting line, four Liberty defenders quickly surrounded her in the paint.
Her ability to reach double figures in points was limited by five personal fouls and a poor 3-for-13 shooting effort late in the game. However, with eight points and 10 rebounds entering the fourth quarter, it looked like Reese’s run would continue.
Sabrina Ionescu scored 28 points with six rebounds. Leonie Fibich scored 13 points with six rebounds, Jonkel Jones added 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists and Ivana Dokic added 12 points for Liberty, which improved its league-best record to 20–4.
Marina Mabrey scored 21 points on 12 rebounds and Michael Nobere added 14 off the bench as the Sky dropped to 9–14. Chicago’s leading scorer, Chendy Carter, played just 15 minutes and scored seven points.
When asked After the game If Carter is sick or injured, Sky coach Teresa Witherspoon said, “She was fine.”
Reese set a WNBA record with 17 points and 14 rebounds last Sunday against the Seattle Storm for her 13th straight double-double. The record was previously held by Candace Parker, who recorded 12 straight double-doubles during the 2009 and 2010 seasons. She extended that record to 15 with the same Liberty team on Thursday.
Perhaps more impressively, Reese set the record for a 22-year-old rookie in the first 20 games of her WNBA career. At age 29, Parker set her eighth consecutive double-double streak.
Reese currently leads the WNBA in rebounding, averaging 11.8 per game.
The Sky hit the road Tuesday to face the Las Vegas Aces (15–7). That will be their second-to-last game before the All-Star Game and their break for the Paris Olympics. Liberty will host the Connecticut Sun (17–5) in a matchup of the WNBA’s top two teams.