Angel Reese sets WNBA rookie record for most consecutive double-doubles

As a truly special crop of WNBA rookies get settled in at the professional level, they continue to do some remarkable things. Chicago Sky forward Angel Reese is the latest to do just that, setting a WNBA record on Thursday afternoon in a game against the Dallas Wings.

Entering the game, Reese had racked up six consecutive double-doubles, tying her with Tina Charles and Cindy Brown for the most by a rookie in WNBA history.

With a monster performance against the Wings, in which Reese tallied 16 points and 18 rebounds, she became the stand-alone leader with seven straight double-doubles.

During that seven-game stretch, Angel Reese has averaged 14.1 points and 12.7 rebounds.

Her strong rookie season comes as the sport is experiencing a resurgence, in no small part thanks to rookies like Reese and the Indiana Fever’s Caitlin Clark. Both has massive followings in college and have brought that with them to the next level.

That’s been backed up by ratings, as well as social media discourse.

A Sunday meeting between the Fever and the Sky drew an average 2.25 million viewers on CBS, making it the most-watched WNBA game on any network in 23 years. The viewer total represented an increase of 225% from the same window last year.

Fans just want to see the latest between Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese, who have formed a budding rivalry.

While Clark is a massive draw in her own right, she’s been quick to credit Reese with the growth of the game, too. Both are pulling their weight in gold for the league.

“What she’s done with her platform has been absolutely incredible,” Clark said of Reese recently. “She has an entire fan base that has supported her in what she did at Maryland and LSU. I’ve played her for a very long time and she’s been a tremendous player. It’s been fun getting to compete against. I think it’s been really good for the game.

“People love seeing great matchups, but also at the same time, people tune in for these matchups so then they get to see how amazing these teams are. Then they find new players to support and continue to come back for them too.”

If Caitlin Clark and Angel Reese continue to the torrid pace they’re on in the WNBA, the sky might be the limit for the league, no pun intended.