Catalina Fragoso/NBAE via Getty Images
Thursday brought some good news and bad news for the Chicago Sky.
On the one hand, star rookie Angel Reese extended her WNBA record of consecutive double-doubles to 15 with 10 points and 10 rebounds. On the other hand, the team blew a double-digit lead in a 91-76 loss to the New York Liberty in Thursday’s showdown at Barclays Center.
New York improved the best record in the WNBA to 19-4, while Chicago fell to 9-13 and was unable to replicate its previous performance as the only team to beat the Liberty in Barclays Center this season.
While Reese was just 5-of-17 from the field and generally struggled against the New York frontcourt, the double-double mark drew the attention of social media:
J A D E S O L A @Jade4rever
The only player with 15 consecutive double doubles is a ROOKIE 🥶🥶🥶🥶
Put some respect on her name..
Angel Reese,the Chi barbie 🤍 pic.twitter.com/ZuZkZXGZVs
The Liberty are arguably the best team in the league with no shortage of star power in Breanna Stewart, Jonquel Jones and Sabrina Ionescu, among others, and Reese’s ongoing record was another primary storyline. However, they all took a backseat in the early going as Chennedy Carter and Marina Mabrey set the tone for Chicago.
A quick start for both helped the Sky build a double-digit lead in the first half, and they seemed well on their way to shocking New York on the road once again.
Then the Liberty flipped the switch.
The home team finished the half on a 14-3 run to trim the deficit to two and built a lead of its own during the third quarter with Ionescu shaking off some early struggles, Leonie Fiebich hitting threes, and the Stewart and Jones combination continuing to prove unstoppable.
Chicago also got a scare when Reese limped to the bench, but she returned and helped cut New York’s lead to just one heading into a fourth quarter where she needed two points and five rebounds to extend the double-double record.
She reached double digits in the points department with an inside shot, which was fitting because the Sky continued to play from behind throughout the second half because they couldn’t make up the difference in the outside shooting.
While Mabrey was the only visiting player to make a single three-pointer, the combination of Ionescu, Fiebich and Kayla Thornton all draining shots from the outside while Stewart and Jones overwhelmed Chicago’s frontcourt was a testament to how much talent is on the Liberty’s roster.
The only positive for the Sky came in the final minutes when Reese reached her double-double totals, and she will have the opportunity to extend the record to 16 in a rematch against New York on Saturday.
