Angel Reese becomes first rookie since A'ja Wilson with 25+points, 15+ rebounds in comeback win over Fever

The Chicago Sky found themselves down by 15 points in the third quarter of their Sunday matchup against the Indiana Fever. But rookie Angel Reese helped rally the Sky to an 88-87 come-from-behind win that also served as a record-breaking performance for the WNBA newcomer.

Reese ended the game with 25 points and 16 rebounds on the day, becoming the first WNBA rookie since A’ja Wilson in 2018 to post 25+ points and 15+ rebounds in a game. Also extending her double-double streak to eight straight games, the longest streak for a rookie and the fourth-longest streak from any player in WNBA history.

Through 14 games Reese has been having an outstanding rookie season for the Sky after the reigning SEC Player of the Year was selected with the No. 7 overall pick of the 2024 WNBA Draft by Chicago. Translating her dominant scoring and rebounding from her college days at LSU and Maryland to the WNBA with 12.4 points, 10.8 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.9 steals per game so far this season. With Reese ironically tied with Wilson for sixth in the league in steals and only trailing her as the WNBA’s second-leading rebounder.

Many regard Wilson as the best player in the WNBA, currently leading the league in points and rebounds per game with two WNBA titles, league MVPs, and Defensive Player of the Year Awards to her name. And although Reese hasn’t quite reached that level yet in her career, she’s surely gotten her respective WNBA career off to a superb start to position herself to follow in Wilson’s footsteps.

Of course doing so in unapologetic Angel Reese fashion as she spoke with ESPN’s Holly Rowe following her recent win over Indiana.

“I’m a dog, you can’t teach that,” Reese told Rowe. “I’m a go out and do whatever it takes to win every single night. My teammates rely on my energy, so being able to continue the energy even if we’re down, even if we’re up. That’s what I do.

In Sunday’s game, the Fever went on an impressive 24-3 run in the third quarter to create some separation from the Sky following a back-and-forth first half. But Reese helped ignite Chicago and give the team the momentum they needed heading into the fourth quarter to ultimately win the game. Scoring the final five points of the third quarter which included an impressive catch and layup where she was fouled along the way.

Reese will look to continue building on her standout rookie season as the Sky face off against Wilson and the Las Vegas Aces on Thursday at 7:00 p.m. ET.