Sky’s Reese 2nd Youngest to Record Triple-Double

Angel Reese was a woman on a mission on her way to compiling the first triple-double of her WNBA career in the Chicago Sky’s 78-66 road win over the Connecticut Sun on Sunday afternoon.

The second-year star out of LSU put up 11 points, 13 rebounds and 11 assists in the victory, adding three steals and two blocks for good measure. She got the triple-double with her 10th dime on a jumper by Ariel Atkins with 2:46 remaining in the fourth quarter.

“I was a passer, and I could’ve been a passer all my career,” Reese said after the game. “Like I came out of high school as the No. 1 wing and I’m trying to get back to that. Trying to get back to being super-versatile. And [coach] Tyler [Marsh] made that emphasis early on in the season.”

“I think bigs have the best passes,” she added with a smile.

Reese is only the second player to collect a triple-double in the WNBA so far this season, joining her archrival, Caitlin Clark. Clark scored 20 points, with 10 assists and 10 rebounds against Reese and the Sky in the Indiana Fever’s 93-58 season-opening win.

During her rookie campaign, Reese set a WNBA record by getting a double-double in 13 consecutive games. That streak eventually extended to 15 games and included a rookie record of seven consecutive games with double figures in points as well as rebounds. Reese finished with 28 double-doubles in 2024, two short of the single-season record set by Alyssa Thomas in 2023 with the Sun.

The Sky forward was also involved in a skirmish with 6:22 left in the third quarter and the Sun leading by one, 43-42. She understandably took exception to Connecticut’s Bria Hartley pulling her braid and striking her across the face while going after a rebound.

Reese immediately confronted Hartley and shoved Olivia Nelson-Ododa before veteran Tina Charles stepped in. In the end, Hartley was whistled for a loose-ball foul, while Reese and Charles were both assessed technical fouls. For the remainder of the quarter, Chicago outscored Connecticut 17-11 and maintained a sizeable lead for the remainder of the game.

“Obviously, that little scuffle that we had, she had to stick up for her teammate,” Reese said about Charles afterward. “She was like, ‘You know I gotta do that.'”

Hailey Van Lith, Reese’s former teammate from college, led the Sky with 16 points off the bench, followed by Reese and Kia Nurse scoring 11. Atkins and Kamilla Cardoso each added 10 for Chicago, which improved their record to 3-7 on the season.

With 22 points, the Sun’s Marina Mabrey, who was traded from the Sky in the middle of last season, led all scorers. Charles added 19 points, followed by Jacy Sheldon’s 12. Nelson-Ododa grabbed 10 boards for Connecticut, which dropped to 2-8.

There is no rest for the weary. The Sky return to the hardwood Tuesday, hosting the Washington Mystics. Up next for the Sun is a visit to the Fever, also on Tuesday.